Ensemble (sequel to Verboten)
by yaoi-ficcionista
Summary: Steve and Tony are furthering their education, as well as their relationship. Unbeknownst to them, a new school means a new set of challenges. Will the lovely new couple survive these challenges and stay ensemble (together)? College AU. Slash (M/M).
1. Where We Are Now

**Huzzah! After a long two-and-a-half year wait, I'm pleased to announce the sequel to _Verboten_ is finally here! I've procrastinated this damn thing for over a year, so it feels like a glorious weight has been lifted. This story doesn't function well as a stand-alone, so I recommend you read _Verboten_ first, as it supplies background context. I hope you enjoy this story as much as its prequel!**

 **Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own any of these characters or anything Marvel-related. Oh, if only I did... ;)**

 **UPDATE: This story underwent major revision on 9/5/2017. For those of you who have read this before, I deleted several lines of unnecessary exposition, reworded some of the dialogue, and corrected spelling/grammar errors.**

* * *

 _RING! RING! RING!_

Nineteen-year-old Steve Rogers jumps awake at the obnoxious sound. His heart hammering in his chest, he grabs his Samsung Galaxy S6 (upgrade!) off the cluttered nightstand and shuts off the alarm. Breathing a sigh of relief, he rolls onto his back and stares up at the bland, white ceiling. He briefly wonders where his glow-in-the-dark stars are. They were always a strange comfort during those intense moments of teen angst. But he's an adult now…er, at least, he's supposed to be. Childish star stickers won't ease the college blues.

College. He's in college. The realization hits him as the feeling of disorientation subsides.

Over the weekend, his parents helped him move into his dorm room. Although his house is only a twenty-minute drive away, his parents still had a hard time letting him go. They kept telling him to "be safe," "stay in touch," and "study hard."

"Yeah, yeah, I will," Steve responded dismissively.

He heard that typical parental tune all throughout high school. They are a big part of why he moved out. He grew tired of living under their watchful eye and wanted a delicious spoonful of freedom.

He's not the only one. Believe it or not, the glorious Tony Stark gave up his luxurious, high-tech bedroom for a simple dorm room. He made the switch not only to be closer to Steve, but also as rebellion against his dad. The guy is determined to prove that he is his own man rather than "Howard Stark's son." Steve fully supports him in the struggle.

The pair successfully hid their budding romance from their friends. In order to accomplish this feat, they fell into a strict, unhealthy routine of lying and avoidance. At school, they were complete strangers, not even casting a glance at one another. On Wednesday nights, they were much cozier. Wednesday was their assigned meeting day, since it was their least busiest day of the week. If any of Steve's friends wanted to hang on Wednesday, he said he got hung-up on homework. Luckily, it worked every time.

Grad night is a night Steve will never forget. Sure, it's already a memorable night, but Tony added the icing on the cake by popping the question. Still dressed in their caps and gowns, he pulled Steve into the most romantic place possible: the high school bathroom.

"Alright, Steve, we've been dating for, what, three months now? Wow, it's gone by fast. Anyways, we've had some good times, and I…don't want them to stop. I want us to have more good times. You get what I'm saying?"

"…are you asking me to be your boyfriend?" Steve ventured.

Tony shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, that."

Steve grinned in delight. "Of course!" He pulled Tony into a quick hug before looking around. "No offense, but you had to do this in a bathroom?"

"I couldn't wait," was Tony's excuse.

Steve smiles at the fond memory. Due to Tony's impressive academic ability, he received several offers from prestigious schools across the nation. He declined each one because he loathed the idea of a long-distance relationship. It warmed Steve's heart like a cheesy rom-com that Tony chose him over his dream school.

Tony's dear friend, Bruce, didn't have a love interest holding him back, so he went to Harvard. He and Tony used to daydream about attending Harvard when they were kids. Tony misses him dearly, but he's proud of him for fulfilling their childhood dream. Steve heard somewhere that Tony's deranged ex-girlfriend, Pepper, wants to pursue a business career. Right. Steve will believe that when he sees it. Thor, aka footballs-for-brains, dropped out of high school two weeks before graduation, so Steve doesn't know or care where he ended up.

He doesn't know what's been going on with Thor's twin brother, Loki, either. The last time they spoke was at graduation. They tried getting together a few times over the summer, but their busy jobs didn't allow it. Steve wasn't upset. When he thought about it, he didn't have time for Loki's drama.

As for Clint and Natasha, they both went off to some military academy. They developed an interest in the military toward the end of the year. During that time, rumors began swirling that they were involved with each other. Natasha firmly denied it. Either way, better the rumors were about them than Steve and Tony.

Steve sighs at the onslaught of precious high school memories. Don't get him wrong, high school was a bitch, but he and his friends made it tolerable. He hopes this college thing will be just as enjoyable, if not more so.

His phone dings with a message, which releases him from his thoughts. He picks up the device and catches a lovely glimpse of the time: 8:50 AM. Steve literally jumps out of bed. He's going to be late for his first class!

He throws on a t-shirt and jeans before grabbing his heavy backpack. Thank God he got everything prepared last night. He runs a quick hand through his ruffly bed-head and rushes out of the room.

"I was wonderin' when you were gonna get up," a cheeky voice comments from the living room.

Steve just huffs at the man reclining on the couch. Although there's room for a third person, it's just him and Sam Wilson at the moment. He's a pretty chill guy, and Steve knows they'll get along just fine when he isn't in such a rush.

"Why are you still here?" he asks from the small kitchen.

"I don't start until 11."

Steve can hear the grin in his voice and scoffs, "Lucky."

"Well, you should've taken later classes, too."

"Yeah, I should've," he agrees while tearing open a brand-new box of protein bars.

He shoves two bars into his pocket and slings his backpack over his shoulder. After exchanging good-byes, he rushes out the door, his mind scurrying with anticipation over the unknown.

* * *

 **That's it for chapter one! A short and sweet recap of the old within the environment of the new. :) I'll be updating this soon, so hang tight!**


	2. Netflix and Chill

"Make sure you have your textbook by Wednesday!"

Steve closes said textbook as his classmates start filing out of the room. He is one of only three people who already have it. The professor praised them for being prepared, but it made Steve feel like a geek. He didn't even need to have it on the first day like he was told. That guy at the college store tells lies.

So far, this college thing isn't too impressive. It's like the first day of high school with how much the professors babble. The English 1010 professor almost put Steve to sleep with her monotone voice. She will make that class a challenge. Math 1050 will be a breeze. Steve has always excelled in mathematics, but the short, jovial professor is the filling in the pi (get it? Ha ha, math humor.) The Sociology 1020 professor, Harp, means well, but his sense of humor is rather dark.

"Steve! That's an easy name to remember," he exclaimed after reading the name off the roll. "I had an old buddy named Steve."

"Had?" one of his classmates questioned. "What happened?"

"Well, the bullet hit the bone, so to speak. We'll cover international suicide rates in chapter four."

The class was left stunned at the dire implication, and Steve made a mental note to stay away from him.

Steve is thankful for his lunch break. Maybe signing up for three back-to-back classes wasn't the healthiest idea. His stomach unleashes impatient growls as he makes his way to the cafeteria.

Once inside the large building, he stands there clutching his backpack straps while scanning the dense crowds. It doesn't take long to find what he's looking for. His heart skips a beat at the sight of the gorgeous, stupidly intelligent man seated at an empty booth. Wait a minute. Empty?

"Hey, babe, you missing something?" he comments sarcastically.

Tony puts down his copy of _Popular Science_. "Yeah, I'm missing those lips on mine."

Steve feels a blush run from his head down to his toes. Although the dynamic of their relationship has improved since high school, Steve is still hesitant about PDA. He looks around before leaning in and giving Tony a quick peck.

Tony blinks. "What the hell was that? My dog kisses better than that."

"You don't have a dog, Tony."

"Maybe I don't. But I do want a real kiss later." He smirks and slides a lunch tray over to him.

Steve rolls his eyes and picks up a burger. "Right, anyways, when I asked if you were missing something, I was talking about your merry band of jockstraps. They aren't suffocating you."

Tony snorts. "We're in college now, Steven. If they weren't drugged before, then they sure are now. They've probably forgotten all about me."

"I hope so or else I'll give them a reason to forget…"

"Mmm, possessive. I like it. It's a hot look on you, darlin'. You should wear it more often."

Steve shoots him a teasing look before taking a bite of the juicy burger. "Has anyone called you out?"

"No, not directly. There was these two girls who kept eyeballing me, but nothing major."

Steve nods in approval. "Good."

They fall into silence as they eat, until Tony asks,

"How have your classes been treating you so far?"

Steve shrugs. "Okay, I guess. I like my math class the best."

"Nerd," Tony chuckles.

"Psh." Steve waves his hand. "What about you?"

"They're all dull, except for my computer class. I know I'm gonna ace it."

"And you're calling me the nerd?" He laughs as Tony throws a fry at him.

"Ugh, will you two lovebirds get a room?" Jane slides in next to Steve with a tray of food and a cheeky grin.

Shortly after graduation, he told her about Tony. She wasn't a big fan of Tony like the rest of their friends, but she was more disappointed Steve didn't tell her sooner. Feelings aside, she fully supports them now.

"At least we have someone to get a room with," Tony comments while chomping down on a fry.

Both Steve and Jane give him a look as Jane bites into her sandwich.

"How are you classes, Jane?" Steve asks, switching the topic.

She shrugs and waits to swallow her mouthful before answering, "I've had two classes so far. Humanities was freaking boring, but science wasn't that bad..."

"Is the professor any good?" Steve asks. "I'll need science next semester."

"It wasn't so much the professor, um…" she fidgets slightly. "There's this really cute lady in there."

Steve grins. "Oh, yeah? What's her name?"

"Peggy." She tries hiding her face behind her long, brown hair.

Tony makes a face. "Peggy? Is she as old-fashioned as her name?"

"Well, she had this red lipstick on, and her hair was short and curly."

"Wow, what's she in school for? There's no degree in housewifery."

Steve shoots him a 'be nice' look. "In her defense, we all don't have modern names, either."

"Yeah, and she totally rocks the vintage look," Jane adds.

Tony just shrugs. "You think she likes the cat?"

Jane's face drops. "I don't know. Probably not. She looks straight, like, _really_ straight."

"You never know. I thought I was straight as a ruler, but then Steve Rogers happened."

"For the record, I didn't turn you gay, Tony. That's not how it works. It's either in you to begin with or it's not."

Tony sighs. "Fine. You helped me understand my repressed attraction to men. That sound better?"

Steve smirks and nods in approval before turning back to Jane. "You can guess yourself to Hell with someone's orientation, so the best way to find out is by talking with her."

"Or you can slap her on the ass and see what happens."

Steve blinks. "Or you could take Tony's approach if you want a quick rejection."

Jane snorts a laugh. "Yeah, I'd rather try talking to her."

"Smart choice."

"Oh, come on. You want that piece of ass, and she needs to know it!" Tony declares loudly enough to attract a few looks their way.

"She's more than just a piece of ass, Tony! I wanna get to know her, you know, like normal people do."

"You mean like boring people do..."

Jane sighs. "I mean, even if Peggy's not into women, I'd still like to be friends with her."

"Really? It wouldn't bother you that she could be doing someone else?" Tony asks in shock. "Well, there's friends with benefits, I guess, but still…"

Steve reaches over and sets his hand atop Tony's. "Babe, just stop. She doesn't need man-whore advice."

"You're no relationship expert, either, Steven. How much action have you gotten?"

Steve awkwardly pulls back. "Uh, well, not much before I met you…" he admits.

Tony leans back in his seat casually. "Exactly, which means we're both unhelpful. I have too much experience, and you don't have enough."

"It's okay, guys, I'll get something figured out," Jane says after a moment.

Steve nods. "Just be careful. That's all I'm gonna say."

"That's all you can say," Tony corrects.

Steve's eyes narrow. "You're just asking for it, Stark."

Tony grins brightly. "I'd love to have it." He waggles his brows.

Jane chuckles. "You guys are too much." She checks her phone, eyes widening. "Shit, I've gotta get to my next class!" She hurries and finishes her food before standing up with her backpack. "See you lovers later!"

Steve watches after her with a smile. "That's so awesome she's finally interested in someone. She didn't date at all in high school."

"How long have you known her?"

"We met in seventh grade. She experimented with a couple girls back then because it 'felt right.'" He chuckles. "I remember her telling me before she realized she was into women."

"Huh," Tony utters thoughtfully while sipping on his soda. "Did you experiment at all?"

"Kinda, but it wasn't until eighth grade when I had my first serious relationship. God, the guy was so attractive. I fell for him hard."

"There's no way he was prettier than me."

Steve smirks. "Would that make you jealous?"

"Psh, no way." He pauses. "'Kay, maybe a tad, but, like, not much."

Steve leans in, lowering his voice. "Jealousy is a hot look on you, babe. You should wear it more often."

Tony stares at him like 'Oh, no, you didn't!', his cheeks painted a light pink.

Our beautiful pairing continues talking and playfully jabbing at each other until, alas, they must depart for their next classes.

"You better call me later," Steve says, making the outdated 'call me' hand gesture.

Tony cocks his head to the side. "I'd rather Netflix and chill, babe."

Steve furrows his brows. "What?"

Tony just winks and kisses his cheek before they go their separate ways.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

"What the hell is Netflix and chill?" Steve asks when he returns to his dorm.

Sam is fixing himself a sandwich in the kitchen. "You serious?"

"You know what it is, too?"

"I'm pretty sure everyone does. It's the thing to do right now."

"Well, I don't. What is it?"

Sam motions to the phone in Steve's pocket. "You got a phone, right? Google it." He takes a bite of his sandwich.

Steve stares at Sam like he just revealed the Holy Grail. He can't believe he didn't consider Googling it earlier. "I swear I was born in the wrong era," he mumbles.

Sam laughs while shaking his head. Steve pulls out his phone and starts typing the phrase into the search when he suddenly loses his footing. Before he can react, he's falling to the floor. He flinches as his stomach comes into contact with the hard surface.

He lays there for a moment, stunned, until Sam walks over and helps him up.

"I told James not to leave his crap in the middle of the floor."

Steve winces as he's pulled back onto his feet. "James?"

"The new guy. He moved in a few hours ago."

As if on cue, the third bedroom door opens and the mysterious James guy appears. Steve's eyes instantly lock with a pair of familiar blue ones. _Oh, God…_

* * *

 **Dun, dun, DUN! Looks like an uninvited blast from Steve's past is coming back to haunt him! I've already started the next chapter, so I'm hoping to post it soon!**


	3. Ghost from Steve's Past

**Hello, my lovelies! It's hard to believe my account turned 3 years old today. Don't they just grow up so fast? :') In honor of this occasion, I'm inviting you to this next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey, Steve."

James flashes him a friendly smile. Steve can only stare. He can't believe the first love of his life, the one he just mentioned to Tony earlier, is standing right in front of him.

Sam glances back and forth between them. "I get the feeling you two know each other?"

"Yeah, we went to middle school together," James answers casually.

Although Steve can't bring his mouth to form words, his heart grows heavy with the familiar weight of heartache. He and Bucky (the nickname he goes by to those closest to him) were forced to break up because 1) Bucky's family moved, and 2) Bucky's parents found out about the relationship and disapproved of it. Steve will never forget the hateful word salad they tossed at him:

"You're corrupting our son!"

"You're going to Hell!"

"This 'relationship' is an abomination!"

Of course the words hurt. It was difficult enough being a confused, awkward, insecure teenager. He didn't need a pair of adults condemning his young soul to Hell. He can't imagine what Bucky went through while living with those homophobic monsters. They probably scared him straight – literally.

Or, Bucky really is straight, but he was just experimenting back then. To some people, their middle school romance probably doesn't count. There wasn't any romance, just hormones and lust. But that's not what it was to Steve. His delicate thoughts and feelings were all too real. Even now, while staring at an adult Bucky, Steve feels a slight flutter in his chest.

Steve licks his suddenly dry lips. "I've missed you."

Dammit, really? Those are the first words out of his mouth? Yeah, he hasn't seen Bucky in five years, but come on, man! He slinks back, immediately wishing he could take the words back.

Bucky smiles softly and holds out his arms invitingly. Steve steps forward without thinking and wraps his arms around his former lover. The contact feels so strange yet so familiar since the last time they hugged. Bucky gained some height and lost most of his baby fat, leaving him with solid, toned muscle.

"I missed you, too," he mumbles close to Steve's ear.

Steve shivers lightly at the warmth hitting his skin. It's not until he awkwardly breaks the hug that he realizes they're alone. Sam either got bored or uncomfortable and retreated to his room.

They stand in silence, unsure of who should say what. Steve decides to take the plunge with some small talk.

"When did you guys move back?"

He takes a seat on the couch in preparation for a long game of catch-up. Bucky joins him, sitting a bit close. Steve doesn't want to make things more awkward, so he pretends not to notice.

"I came out here on my own to go to school," Bucky answers. "Shield University is a lot cheaper than Hydra State."

"I heard those people are kinda crazy, anyways."

"Oh, yeah. Hydra High was bad enough."

Steve murmurs in agreement.

Bucky leans back into the couch. "This is just crazy. I mean, I didn't think I'd ever see you again. I've tried finding you on Facebook and Twitter, but there are millions of Steve Rogers."

"I'm not on those sites anyways." Steve offers a light chuckle to dissuade the impending discomfort.

Bucky appears surprised, which is to be expected. "You're the first person I've met who doesn't have a Facebook."

Steve shrugs. "I don't find the need to have one."

"You always preferred pencil and paper to computers." He chuckles. "Remember when your computer exploded in Higley's class?"

"Oh, yeah!" Steve grins, recalling the memory. "She thought it was my fault."

"Man, she was pissed!" Bucky laughs. "All I did was laugh, and she sent both of us to the freakin' principal's office."

Once they come down from their laughter, Bucky's whole demeanor shifts from lighthearted to serious.

"You ever think about what could've been?" he asks lowly.

Steve sighs quietly, casting his gaze on the floor. That is the one subject he was hoping wouldn't get brought up. "I thought about it all the time after you left."

"Yeah, I did, too. Sometimes I still catch myself wondering what -"

The conversation is interrupted by Steve's phone buzzing in his pocket with a text. It'd be rude to respond right now, so he just pulls out his phone to check it.

 _Guess whos horny and alone? ;)_

Steve's cheeks flush, and he lightly chews on his lip. Bad idea. The reaction piques Bucky's interest.

"Is everything okay, Steve?"

Steve clears his throat and sets the phone down. "Yeah, it's all good."

Honestly, it's more than good. It's _amazing_ to think his horny, willing boyfriend is waiting down the hall for him.

Bucky gives a slow nod. He doesn't look completely convinced, but he doesn't say anything further about it.

"So, I was saying that -"

Steve's phone rudely buzzes again. He knows he shouldn't check it, but he does anyways.

 _Thatd be me whos horny and lonely, in case u couldn't guess but hopefully u could._

Leave it to Tony to awkwardly explain his texts when Steve doesn't reply right away. Suddenly, another message pops up.

 _Get your ass down here steve and lets do naughty things_

Damn that Tony Stark with his insatiable sex drive and rapid-fire texting! Steve's fingers itch to reply. Bucky appears irritated, but that's the least of Steve's worries.

 _Please steeeeve, I need you so baaaaad_

Dammit, that's it. Steve rises from the couch and racks his brain for a lie.

"Sorry, Buck, I've got to, um, meet up with a few friends. I'll catch you later." Well, that's not a complete lie.

Bucky just shrugs and nods. "Okay, that's fine." He puts on a smile that makes Steve a bit uneasy.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

"Mmm, fuck, I'm gettin' close," Tony announces.

Steve squeezes his eyes shut, his breathing labored, and his fist working his erection as Tony slides in and out of him. The headboard of the small, twin bed knocks against the wall in sync with Tony's thrusts.

"D-do it, babe," Steve encourages, tightening his legs around Tony's waist. His inner walls are also tightening in preparation for his own climax.

With a moan, Tony releases inside his boyfriend, decorating his inner walls in white. Steve comes undone moments later, splattering his fist and Tony's abdomen with his release.

Panting, Tony pulls out and collapses next to Steve. The next few moments are spent in silence as they bask in their afterglows and regulate their breathing. Steve lazily slings an arm around Tony, pulling him close. Tony snuggles against Steve's sweaty chest.

Throughout their first couple months together, Tony was adamant about topping during sex because he was used to holding that power and dominance over people. It was his way or the highway. Eventually, he accepted the idea of penetrating Steve. He was afraid of hurting Steve the way he had at the high school party, but Steve trusts him. They've been having awesome sex ever since. Ditching the condoms after getting tested also heightens the experience.

This is the first time they've had sex in the dorms. Right after Steve arrived, he expressed concern over Tony's roommates, Pietro Maximoff and James "Rhodey" Rhodes. Tony reassured him the two would be out for a while, guaranteeing the space for themselves.

Like Steve, Tony gets on okay with his roommates. He's already connecting with Rhodey, but Pietro isn't interacting with them much. The only things Tony knows about him so far is that he is a computer science major with a twin sister living in another town.

Steve was hesitant about having sex in here. He's used to the comfort and privacy of Tony's spacious bedroom; He's not used to the constant fear that someone might walk in on them. Despite Tony's reassurance, Steve still had a difficult time fully relaxing. This is just something else he needs to get used to.

This whole thing gets even more awkward when he thinks about Bucky. What are the odds the guy would come back into his life at this time under these circumstances? Even if Steve never says a word about his relationship, it's likely Bucky will find out somehow. Not that it really matters, though. What was once between them ceases to exist.

"What are you worried about?"

Steve quickly gathers his thoughts. "Huh?"

"I can see the lines in your forehead, darlin'." Tony eyes him. "What's up?"

Steve lets a small sigh escape his lips. "Just thinkin' about…school."

His first lie to Tony. And it was too easy. But it's for Tony's own good, really. The guy doesn't need to warp into a jealous, vengeful, overprotective boyfriend.

Tony scoffs. "Right after sex?" He glances up at him. "The whole point of sex is to get away from what's going on around you."

Steve glances at him. "I know that, babe." He grabs Tony's hand, giving it a small kiss.

The kiss drains the tension from Tony's face. He smiles softly and nuzzles Steve's chest.

As they lay there in silence, Steve's mind starts wandering again. "Babe?"

"Hmmm?"

"What's Netflix and chill?"

Steve feels Tony smirk against him. "You'll find out soon."

A small shiver runs up and down his spine.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

After giving himself a thorough cleaning, Steve returns to his own dorm. Once inside, he finds Bucky reclining on the couch. He immediately sits up and stretches.

"Hey, you have a good time?"

 _Hell yeah, I did._ "Yeah. Is Sam here?"

Bucky shakes his head and rises from the couch. "No, he's out with friends."

Steve wanders into the kitchen and tosses a frozen burrito into the microwave. He hasn't eaten since lunch, and his stomach is definitely reminding him of that.

Bucky leans against the counter, his gaze fixed on Steve. "What'd you guys do?"

"We did Netflix and chill," he answers casually. It's the best lie he can come up with right now.

Bucky blinks. "…yeah?"

"Yup."

"Uh, how many people were with you?"

"There was four of us."

Bucky quietly exhales. "Damn, Steve, I…I didn't know you were so…" His cheeks flush brightly.

Steve glances at him. "That I'm so what?"

"That you were so…kinky."

Steve's eyes widen. "No, no! We didn't watch a porno, if that's what you're thinking." He pauses. "Netflix doesn't even have porn, does it?"

Bucky ignores the question. "Four people…wow, and to think you were awkward enough with me."

"Buck, what are you talking about?"

Bucky draws in a breath. "What are _you_ talkin' about, Steve? You just told me you had a foursome with your friends like it was the most normal thing ever."

Steve stares at him, bewildered, until it clicks inside his brain. _So that's what Netflix and chill means…_ The color drains out of his face. He just got busted by his own lie.

The microwave dings, causing him to jump. He carefully takes the hot plate out, grabs a soda from the fridge, and walks into the living room with Bucky hot on his heels.

"You ain't walking out of this one, Steve."

Steve plops down on the couch with a sigh and pops open the can. "Buck, I didn't know that's what Netflix and chill means."

"Then why'd you say it?" He looks visibly upset.

"Why are you so freaked out about it?" Steve gazes at him while sipping on his soda.

Slowly, Bucky's gaze softens. It's like something snaps him back into the moment.

"You're right. I shouldn't…I don't know why I'm acting so pissy." He sits next to him. "Sorry."

"Well, I'd be weirded out if someone told me that too," he says with a chuckle.

Bucky utters a tense laugh of his own. Steve turns his attention onto the TV while taking the first bite of his burrito.

"What are you watching?"

Bucky shrugs. "Just some documentary on World War II." He grabs the remote. "You can change it if you want."

Steve shakes his head. "No, it's fine. I like military documentaries."

Bucky brightens as much as the television screen. "Really?"

"Yeah. I'm thinking about becoming a military science major."

"Cool, me too!"

Steve cracks a smile. Things either got a bit better or a whole lot worse.

* * *

 **The chapter was the party, but reviews, follows and/or favorites are the gifts. Don't forget to leave one on your way out! ;D**


	4. What We Used to Be

_It was a breezy spring night when 14-year-old Steve Rogers heard the words a teenager in love never wants to hear. He and Bucky sat closely on the curb outside the movie theater, discreetly holding hands while waiting for Bucky's sister Rebecca to pick them up._

 _Unlike Bucky's parents, Rebecca was totally cool with their relationship. She stood behind Bucky's lies whenever he wanted to see Steve and covered their tracks by offering them rides._

 _The couple was approaching five months together, and they were still going strong - very strong. They had talked about what high school was going to be like and started planning for it._

" _Steve, there's somethin' I gotta tell you."_

" _Yeah?"_

 _Bucky hesitated before continuing. "We're moving."_

 _Just like that, everything came crashing down. Two weeks later, their plans, hopes and wonderful times came to an end when Bucky wound up 400 miles away from Steve._

The sound of multiple voices and backpacks being zipped up rouses Steve from his thoughts. _Damn, is it time to leave already?_ He glances at the clock, confirming his suspicions. Once again, he daydreamed his way through a class. Apparently his brain found his past with Bucky more interesting than an introduction to humanities.

Not that reflecting on the past is bad, but Steve hasn't thought about Bucky in a long time. They stayed in contact for a while after the move before gradually falling out of touch. They both moved on, and Steve put the hurt feelings behind him. Still, his body forces him to feel the sting of heartache all over again.

Trying his damnedest to ignore the feeling, Steve packs up and leaves the classroom. He has two hours to kill until his next class. Tony and Jane texted him their schedules, so he knows their availability. Consulting his phone, he sees Tony is in class, but Jane also has a break.

He texts her to see if she wants to meet up. She texts back within seconds and tells him to meet her at her house. Jane's house is close to the campus, so she didn't need to bother with the dorms. That, and her parents aren't strict, homophobic assholes. They fully accept her and Steve's preferences.

Steve hops into his still-crappy car and drives the short, 5-minute drive to the Foster residence.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

When Steve arrives, Jane greets him with a smile and eagerly invites him inside. Steve steps inside the cozy, familiar one-story house. There used to be four people living here, but Jane's older brother Brent recently got married and moved out.

The Fosters graciously offered for Steve to move into Brent's room. No doubt it would've been less expensive, but he wanted to live in the same building as Tony.

"Hungry?" Jane asks.

Steve nods. "Yeah, I could eat something."

He swings the fridge door open. He's been here so many times that he doesn't need permission to raid their fridge.

"Are your parents around?"

Jane shakes her head and sits down at the kitchen island. "Nope, Dad's at work, and Mom's running errands. Ya know, the typical old people stuff." She chuckles.

Steve chuckles as well. He pulls out a container and examines the contents.

"That's some leftover taco meat from last night," Jane says. "All the fixings are in there, too."

Steve dumps some of the meat into a separate bowl and places it in the microwave. "Home-cooked meals are the one thing I miss about home."

"Oh, yeah, I don't think I could give that up."

They fall silent. The microwave provides background noise as Steve contemplates bringing up Bucky.

He draws in a slow breath. "I got a new roommate."

"Cool! What's he like? Not noisy and stinky, I hope?" She giggles.

Steve briefly hesitates. "Actually, he's the opposite. He's friendly and charming and handsome. It's like I've known him before."

Jane quirks a brow. "Is he someone you've known before?"

"We've both known him."

Jane glances at the ceiling while she thinks on it. Steve watches her and subconsciously chews on his lip.

"Where do we know him from?" she asks.

"Middle school. Think back to eighth grade. I was really close to him."

She ponders for a little while longer before her eyes widen. "Bucky?"

Steve slowly nods right when the microwave dings. He retrieves the hot bowl and gets to work preparing a taco.

"I didn't know he was back in town."

"He just moved back yesterday."

Jane blinks. "And he's sharing a dorm with you?"

"Yep."

Jane shakes her head in disbelief. "Wow, what are the odds?"

"Right? It's a freaky coincidence." He takes the seat next to her and bites into his taco.

"How much has he changed?"

Steve shrugs while chewing. "He's taller and toned. It wouldn't surprise me if he works out. His personality is similar, though."

"How do you feel about it?" she asks lowly.

"I don't know right now." He takes a couple more bites. "Like, part of me wants to get close to him again, but the other part is telling me to keep my distance."

"Do you still have feelings for him?"

Steve scoffs. "It's been five years, Jane."

"Yeah, I know, but you were so sad when he left." Steve chews silently, unable to argue with that. "Does Tony know about him?"

"Kinda. He doesn't know the details, though, and I probably won't tell him."

Jane blinks, looking surprised. "Really? Don't you think he has a right to know?"

He shakes his head. "I'm doing it to protect him. I don't want him freaking out and getting jealous over something that's in the past."

She heaves a sigh. "Alright, fine. Just be careful, okay?"

Steve just nods and continues eating while getting lost in thought.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

"We should totally go to the dance on Friday."

Steve stops typing on his laptop. He's seated at the small desk in Tony's room doing homework. Tony is relaxing on his bed with his arms folded behind his head. The overachiever is already done with his homework for the night.

"What dance?"

Tony glances at him. "The back-to-school dance? There's flyers posted all around campus for it, babe."

Steve reflects back on the crazy party held at Thor's house months ago. That was his first and last house party. Thor held another one before graduation, but Steve and Tony didn't go. Their relationship was still fresh and new, so they didn't want to trigger any negative feelings.

Steve shrugs carelessly. "Guess I haven't been paying attention."

"Well, we should go. Whaddaya say?" Steve's shoulders tense. "It won't be like Thor's parties, if that's what you're worried about. There's a difference between parties and dances."

Steve turns in his seat. "Like alcohol?"

No way is he forgetting when Tony got slammed at the party. Although Tony promised to never do that again, Steve remains wary. The wild (and underage) Tony Stark loved to party hard.

"Well, there shouldn't be, but people always find ways to sneak it in. Doesn't mean you have to drink it, though."

Steve gives a small nod and wordlessly turns back to his computer. He hears the creak of Tony's bed, followed by soft footsteps and warm breath caressing his ear.

"C'mon, babe, it'll be tons of fun. We can invite Jane and Rhodey and whoever else." He starts planting open-mouthed kisses on Steve's neck.

Steve closes his eyes and leans back in the chair. "You tryin' to get your way through seduction again, Stark?"

He feels Tony smirk against his skin. "Is it working?"

Steve feels a familiar throb in his pants and stands up, whipping around to face his devious boyfriend. He quickly looks him up and down before shoving him into the nearest wall. Tony squeaks in surprise and stares at Steve through blown pupils.

"What if I told you it was?" Steve purrs.

Tony flushes and squirms slightly. Steve knows it gets Tony all hot and bothered when he takes control like this.

"Then I'd fucking love you even more."

Steve quirks a brow and slides his thigh in between Tony's legs. "Is that so?"

Tony's eyes roll back. "Mmm, hell yeah."

Steve smirks and captures his boyfriend's lips. Their tongues waste no time engaging in a heated battle for dominance. Tony's hips start rocking along the length of Steve's thigh. Steve feels the trapped erection rubbing against him and deepens the kiss. The sound of the front door opening abruptly ends their passionate encounter. Steve awkwardly steps back and wipes his mouth on his sleeve.

"I'm back with food!" Rhodey calls.

Tony remains plastered against the wall and clears his throat. "What'd you get?" he calls back.

"Chinese, what else?" is the answer.

Tony doesn't answer back. He glances at Steve. "You wanna stay for dinner?" he asks huskily.

Steve tries getting his brain to refocus. "Maybe another night. I've gotta get my homework done."

Tony nods dazedly. "Yeah, sure, that's fine." He watches Steve pack up his laptop.

Steve gives Tony a quick kiss before ducking out of the room. Luckily Rhodey has his back turned, so Steve makes an easy escape.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

Steve's also fortunate he doesn't have to face his own roommates. A small lamp in the living room is the only source of light. The bedroom door frames are glowing, indicating Sam and Bucky are in their respective rooms. Steve breathes a silent sigh of relief. The last thing he wants to do is confront them with an obvious bulge in his pants.

Once inside his room, Steve sets the laptop down and wastes no time getting to work…on his erection. The homework can wait, dammit! He kicks his pants and underwear off before settling on his bed and spreading his legs. His erection rests hot and heavy on his abdomen. He wraps his hand around the swollen shaft, exhaling softly at the jolt of cool flesh against hot.

Since Tony is almost always up for a tumble in the sheets, Steve rarely resorts to masturbation. They were free to have as much uninterrupted sex as they wanted back at Tony's mansion. However, privacy is a thing of the past, so Steve gets the feeling he'll be using his hand a lot more often.

Steve's mind floods with sexy images as he sets a slow, teasing rhythm. He imagines a sweaty, flushed Tony Stark sprawled out beneath him, ripe for the taking. Steve's steady strokes mimic the action of covering himself with lube.

"Give it to me, Steve," Tony moans heatedly.

Steve wastes no time sliding home and thrusting. He squeezes his eyes shut while working the throbbing organ quicker, matching the pace of his thrusts.

Tony wraps his legs tightly around Steve's waist, and Steve dives in deeper. Precum is leaking freely down his shaft, providing much needed lubrication. Tony's gasps and moans of pleasure drive Steve closer to the peak.

Suddenly, dark eyes morph into beautiful blue ones. Steve's rhythm falters slightly, but he keeps going. He's so close. The rest of Tony's features change until Bucky is lying beneath him.

"God, Steve, I've been wanting this for so long," Bucky rasps.

Steve stares down at him in bewilderment. _What the hell?_ He tries redirecting the unwanted thoughts, but Bucky stays there.

"Mmm, yeah, Steve," Bucky moans before throwing his head back and cumming all over himself.

The sight brings Steve to his own orgasm. He bites down on his lip to muffle his moans while releasing several spurts of cum onto his hand and shirt. He works himself through the intense waves of pleasure until his member gets too sensitive.

The images slowly fade from his mind, leaving behind a pang of guilt. The feeling follows him through his afterglow and into the shower, where he washes away the evidence from his rather _dirty_ pleasure. If only he could give his mind a nice scrubbing, too. He tries reassuring himself that this was a one-time incident.

After the shower, he changes into his pajamas and climbs back into bed. He curls up onto his side and lies among his thoughts until sweet slumber overtakes him.

* * *

 **Woot, woot, looks like it's gonna be party time once again! What could possibly go wrong? Heh, stay tuned! ;)**


	5. The Dance

**Hello, everyone! I meant to post this before Christmas, but I didn't have quite enough time to complete it before I went on hiatus. So, consider this a late Christmas gift from me to you. ^_^ Happy Holidays, and happy reading!**

* * *

Steve stares at himself in his bedroom mirror. He examines his outfit for the millionth time: a light jacket over a t-shirt, accompanied by a pair of blue jeans and black Converse. It's simple and informal. He runs a comb through his blonde hair a few times, although his hair looks fine. He sets the comb down and draws in a deep breath. What is he fussing about? He's acting like he's going on his first date with Tony all over again.

That's it. Tony is the one making him nervous. Steve has no idea what to expect from him tonight. It's not that he doesn't trust his boyfriend; it's just that he should probably monitor him. Tony's broken several of his old habits since he's been with Steve, which is nice, but there's a chance he'll relapse. Ugh, why did he agree to this?

He balls his hands into determined fists _. Dammit, Steve, just get over it._ He needs to get positive, or his night will be ruined for sure. He needs to believe this dance will be completely different. One bad experience shouldn't ruin dances and parties for him. Forcing himself into a better mindset, he leaves his dorm and walks down to Tony's.

Once outside the door, he awkwardly knocks a couple times. He makes out muffled voices before he hears footsteps approaching.

The door opens, revealing a guy Steve doesn't recognize. "I'm guessing you're Steve."

Steve nods, identifying his voice from last night. "You're Rhodey."

Rhodey grins. "That's right." He steps aside. "Come on in. The lovely princess is almost ready."

"I just need my tiara, and I'm all set," Tony says casually from the bathroom.

Steve chuckles and stands in the doorway. He scans Tony's designer-clad form appreciatively.

"Your ass looks fuckin' awesome in those jeans," he comments before he can stop himself.

Tony smirks at him while messing with his hair. "You can look, but you can't touch." He gives his butt a teasing wiggle.

Steve licks his lips subconsciously. "You might hafta remind me."

"Okay, gentlemen, let's keep it PG in here," Rhodey announces with a slight smirk.

Steve almost forgot Rhodey was in the room and flushes. Tony grins cheekily and gives Steve a look that says, "It's okay. He's cool with us." Well, that's a relief.

Once Tony's finished styling his hair into soft spikes, he strikes a sassy pose in the bathroom doorway. "This diva is ready for action."

Rhodey and Steve burst out laughing in unison. Rhodey gets laughing so hard he has to support himself with the door frame.

"I thought you were a princess?" Steve asks in between laughs.

Tony shrugs. "What's the difference? They're both fabulous, and I'm fabulous. It works out."

"Shit, man, you're fucking hilarious!" Rhodey exclaims while wiping at his damp eyes. "I'm so glad we're roomies." He claps Tony on the back.

"You got lucky. There's tons of people who'd kill to live with me."

"Or be in a relationship with you," Steve adds.

Tony nods. "Especially that."

They silently gaze at each other, the air thick with unspoken words and rising temperatures, until Rhodey interrupts them and forces them out the door.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

Flashing colored lights, spinning bodies and thumping music greet them the moment they enter the building. It's like Steve got transported into another dimension. The DJ is positioned up front, his hands busy with the beats he's laying on. Some people are wearing, throwing, or waving glow sticks along with the beat. It already looks and _feels_ different than Thor's house party. This gives Steve hope.

"Are we sure this is a school dance?" Rhodey asks. "Looks more like a club to me." He barely dodges a flying elbow from a nearby dancer.

"Guess they think we need a break from school already," Tony states.

"Jane said she'd meet us here," Steve says.

He scans the crowd in an attempt to find her. He spots a short, thin arm waving at him from a little lounge area. A break in the crowd reveals Jane.

He pushes through the crowd with Tony and Rhodey trailing behind him like puppy dogs. The lounge is positioned next to what looks like a bar. Steve feels himself tense up, only to calm down somewhat when he notices how quiet things are back here. A few other groups are occupying booths, laughing and chatting among themselves. Steve honestly wouldn't mind just sitting here the whole time. He could observe the careless college behaviors from this cozy, little nook.

Jane sits at the second-to-last booth. It's a large, curved booth that comfortably seats around eight people. Steve's surprised to find she's not alone. A woman with curled brown hair and striking red lipstick sits next to her. Before he can say anything, Jane rises and gives him a hug.

"Isn't this place awesome?" she asks and pulls back with a grin.

Steve nods while looking around. "Yeah, it's not bad."

Jane turns toward the woman. "Guys, this is-"

"Peggy," Tony interrupts and slides into the booth next to her. "You like pussy?"

"Wow, Tony, really?" Jane asks flatly. She sits on Peggy's other side. Steve slides in next to Tony, and Rhodey sits next to Steve.

Peggy quirks a dark, neatly shaped brow. "Nice to meet you, too," she responds in a British accent.

Tony gapes. "Whoa, you're British!"

"Is that a bad thing?"

Tony shakes his head. "Nah. I think it's hot." An elbow to his side makes him clear his throat. "In here. I think it's hot in here." He fans himself for emphasis.

"Grab a drink and cool off, then," Jane suggests with narrowed eyes.

That gets Rhodey's attention. "Yeah, I could go for a Samuel Adams right now. Help get the party started." He grins

Jane glances at him. "What's your name?"

"Rhodey. I'm Tony's best roommate." He grins at Tony, who rolls his eyes in pretend annoyance.

"Oh, nice to meet you, Rhodey. I'm Jane." She smiles.

"That's a lovely name for a lovely lady, I must say," Rhodey says casually.

Steve snorts back a laugh, and Jane sighs. "Well, I hate to break it to ya, Rhodey, but there's no alcohol. They've just got sparkling juices and sodas."

Rhodey utters a sound of disappointment, but Steve gives a small sigh of relief. That's one less thing to worry about. He even offers to go get the drinks for everyone. He climbs out of the booth, and Jane smiles at him in appreciation.

"I'll take a sparkling apple cider, please."

"Club soda with a lime wedge for me," Peggy says.

"I'll pass," Tony says casually. "Sparkling drinks are too risque for me." He smirks, and Rhodey laughs.

Steve rolls his eyes at them. "What do you want, Rhodey?"

"What the hell, I'll be risque! Get me a club soda with a lime wedge."

Peggy nods in approval. "Nice choice."

"If I hate it, I'll give it to you."

Peggy grins.

Steve chuckles and nods. "Okay, guys, I'll be right back."

Steve stands in the small line and shoves his hands inside his pockets. He takes this opportunity to further observe his surroundings. He'd be lying if he said he's unimpressed. The space looks well-kept, and the décor is modern. Most importantly, there's room to breathe. He's not getting whacked, sweat-upon and breathed on by random students.

Steve's eyes weave through the horde of college students. Some people stand around with drinks in their hands. Others are dancing, either in a group or with someone of the opposite sex. A guy who looks like Bucky is staring right at him from across the room.

Hold up.

Steve does a double-take, only to find it's not Bucky. The guy's hair and eyes are similar, but the nose is too big. Whew, that was a close one.

Suddenly, Steve's thoughts turn into a deep, dark place - the place his most recent jerk-off session took him, and he's been trying to avoid all week. However, his brain has had other ideas. With pangs of guilt, but unable to help himself, he's been casting glances at Bucky's pert backside and wondering, secretly wondering, how…

"Bro, you gonna order or what?"

Steve snaps back into the present to find the blonde bartender glaring at him. Clearly this wasn't the first time the guy spoke to him. The guy is lean, muscular and blonde. He looks and sounds like he could've been in Tony's band of jocks. Probably was.

"Oh, um, yeah, sorry," he mutters. "Two sparkling apple ciders, and two club sodas with lime wedges, please."

The guy studies him for a moment before silently carrying out the order.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

"How long have you two been together?" Peggy asks.

She casually sips on her drink while looking between Tony and Steve. The group's conversation has been a get-to-know-each other game for the past hour. Peggy just barely found out they are together. Tony's constant (and shamelessly public) flirting made it somewhat obvious.

Tony slings a proud arm around Steve. "We're six months strong."

Peggy's glossy lips form into a smile. "That's nice. You seem really happy together."

Tony nods, and Steve grins. "No doubt about that. Steven is my bae."

Steve's grin falters. "Don't ever call me that again."

"My boo?"

"No."

"My pumpkin pie?"

"No?"

"My cherry pie."

"Enough with the pie, babe."

Tony purses his lips. "Sugar baby dumpling bunch it is."

Steve makes a face. "God, no. Just 'babe' is fine."

Peggy laughs at them. "Cute, real cute."

"What about you, Peggy?" Tony asks suddenly. "Are you into anyone?" He throws a wink at Jane.

Jane quickly diverts her gaze to her drink.

Peggy shrugs. "There's some attractive people at the college, but I don't think anyone is interested in me."

"Who wouldn't be? You're freaking pretty," Jane blurts before clamping her mouth shut.

Peggy blinks then smiles somewhat bashfully. "Oh, well, thank you, Jane. You're quite lovely yourself."

Jane flushes, and her face breaks out into a giddy smile.

Steve smiles as well, nuzzling closer to Tony. "I didn't know you were a matchmaker," he murmurs in his ear.

Tony shrugs. "I try." He turns his head, capturing Steve's lips in a brief kiss.

Right then, Rhodey shows back up after his rather long bathroom break.

"Welcome back. I was about ready to come lookin' for ya," Tony comments.

"Hey, I gotta tell you something."

"Yeah?"

He motions for Tony to follow him. Tony climbs out of the booth, and they disappear from view. Steve turns and spots the two standing a few feet away. Rhodey's back is to him, but he can make out Tony's facial features in the dim lighting. The genius stands there, listening intently to his friend. Suddenly, his brow furrows, and his lips grow tight with what looks like apprehension. They continue talking for a little while, which only increases Steve's curiosity.

When they return to the booth, Tony looks mildly disturbed. Steve's about to ask him about it when Rhodey shouts, "Enough sitting around, guys. Let's shake it!"

Jane hops up from her seat. "Yeah!" She grabs Peggy's manicured hand and practically yanks her up.

Peggy chuckles, going along with her. "Alright, alright, I'm up."

Steve brushes Tony's arm as the group approaches the dance floor. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You look like something's bothering you."

Tony gives a little shrug but doesn't respond. Steve gets a naggy feeling in his gut, but he pushes it away.

The group starts out dancing in the back of the room, where there's less people, before gradually moving further into the crowd. When the DJ spins _Jump on It_ , Jane squeals excitedly.

"I love this song!" She starts doing the dance.

Peggy watches her in bewilderment. "There's a dance to this?"

"Yep!" Steve exclaims and starts moving alongside Jane. "It's simple, but it's fun."

Peggy watches them before joining in, her movements awkward and choppy. A few other people join in with them, forming a small line.

One of the guys shouts, "Aw, yeah! Jump on it!"

"I'm bloody trying!" Peggy responds while trying to match everyone's rhythm.

"Whenever I hear this song, I think of Loki at that dance," Jane tells Steve.

Steve grins. "That was hilarious."

"The look on his face was sooo funny."

"He looked like he wanted to die."

The two burst out laughing at the funny memory of Loki attempting this dance at a stomp in 10th grade. Their laughter dies down when the song changes moments later, and the people dancing with them disperse in random directions.

"Have you heard from him lately?"

Steve shakes his head. "I haven't heard from anyone."

"Me neither. I hope they're all doing okay."

Steve hopes so, too. The crowded space feels a bit empty without their friends dancing alongside them. The old group had some fun times, that's for sure. Steve suddenly really misses them.

"Woo! I can't believe I did all that spinning in these heels!" Peggy shouts, interrupting their reminiscing.

Jane glances down at Peggy's vintage high heels. "Aren't your feet hurting?"

She shrugs. "Not more than usual."

Steve bows out of their shoe conversation and dances by himself for a moment. It takes him a little while to notice Tony and Rhodey are no longer next to him. He stops moving and looks around. The two are nowhere in sight. Steve figures they got bold and moved further up front. He doesn't think much more of it and continues dancing.

It's not until Jane mentions their absence a few songs later that Steve thinks about it again. He explains his dancing-up-front theory, but Jane doesn't buy it.

"Wouldn't they tell us?" she asks.

Steve shrugs. "They don't have to. It's okay if they go do their own thing."

"You'd think Tony wouldn't leave your side," Peggy remarks. Her feet started hurting more than usual, so she's now dancing barefoot.

"What if they ditched us?" Jane asks.

"Tony wouldn't leave without telling me," Steve says matter-of-factly.

He trusts Tony wouldn't do that to them. He can't say the same for Rhodey, though. He hardly knows the guy who currently has custody of his boyfriend. Rhodey doesn't seem like a bad guy up front, but Tony hasn't exactly made the best friend choices. Now Steve's getting a little concerned. He sends Tony a quick text.

After waiting ten minutes for a reply, Steve takes it upon himself to find Tony. He's not overly concerned that Tony didn't reply. He's probably too busy dancing it up. If Steve could just find where Rhodey and Tony are dancing, he could reunite everyone. He informs the ladies he'll return and begins his quest.

Steve checks everywhere inside the building. He shoves his way up front, but they aren't there. He checks the bathroom with no luck before returning to the booth. Steve sighs in defeat when he discovers the booth is empty. He heads outside, away from the noise, and calls Tony.

"Dammit," he mumbles when Tony's voicemail greeting plays.

He shoves his phone back into his pocket and leans against the building, his mind reeling. The naggy feeling returns, and he can't shake it this time. Something is going on. The way Tony's demeanor shifted after his conversation with Rhodey earlier was definitely concerning. What are they up to?

Steve gives up and walk back inside. He needs to trust that Tony will show himself eventually. He spots Jane and Peggy…along with Tony and Rhodey. Steve quirks a brow as he approaches the group. It's almost like the guys never even left.

Jane flashes him a smile. "Hey, Steve! Guess who's back?"

Tony is tearing it up to the point he's panting. Rhodey is also dancing next to him like a mad man.

"Hey, babe, where'd you guys go?" he asks.

Tony turns to Steve with glazed, unfocused eyes. "Heyyy, sexy, how 'bout givin' me s-some sugar?"

The unmistakable stench of alcohol stings Steve's nose and further validates the naggy feeling. He recoils away from Tony like he just got burned.

"You've been drinking," he says, voice low and tight.

Tony hiccups. "You're…my kinda drink." He licks his lips while looking Steve up and down. "Wanna suck you all up, mmm."

He steps toward Steve, but Steve takes a step back. He's instantly triggered by flashbacks of running through Thor's house with a drunk Tony hot on his heels. Sure, part of him wanted it then, but this time…there's nothing sexy about it. He doesn't want Tony at all like this.

"Stay the fuck away from me," he warns.

Tony cocks his head to the side, but the warning doesn't seem to fully process. "B-but I want yooou…" He steps forward again, and Steve takes another step back.

"You said you wouldn't do this again!" He's physically trembling from controlling his anger.

Jane looks back and forth between them with wide eyes. "What's going on?"

"Tony is fucking drunk, in case you didn't notice," he snaps without meaning to.

She blinks, utterly confused. "But, alcohol isn't allowed here…"

"Either you're wrong or someone snuck it in anyways." He glares daggers at Rhodey.

Rhodey holds his hands up, his eyes just as glazed as Tony's. "Hey, man, I didn't hide the funny juice." He bursts out laughing, taking a stab at his own drunken point.

Steve's eye twitches. He should've known this Rhodey guy was up to no good. He should also know there's no use trying to reason with a drunken Tony Stark. With a scowl, Steve storms out of the building.

"Hey, wait! Wanna…I wanna show you somethin'!" Tony calls after him.

"He's no fun," Rhodey comments.

Tony turns to Rhodey. "I bet you're fun." He smacks him on the ass. Rhodey jumps, and they both burst out laughing.

Peggy rolls her eyes in disgust. "Way to kill the mood." She picks up her shoes. "I'm going back to the booth."

Jane glares at them before following her. "I can't believe them."

"Are they normally like this?"

"Tony used to be. He pretty much gave a big middle finger to everything in high school."

Peggy shakes her head. "Shame. Steve seems like such a nice bloke, too."

Jane nods in agreement. "He is. I'll check on him tomorrow. I think he needs some space right now."

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

After arriving back at his dorm, Steve slams his bedroom door shut and flings himself onto his bed in a rage. He can't believe Tony did this. He had his word that he wouldn't get drunk again. Or, maybe it wasn't Tony who fucked up; maybe it was Steve. Steve failed to monitor and protect his susceptible boyfriend. Hot, bitter tears burn his eyes before spilling down his cheeks.

A soft knock sounds on his door, followed by an equally soft, "Steve?"

Steve huffs into his pillow. He's not in the mood for company. "Fuck off."

The door opens anyways, revealing a sleepy-looking Bucky. All the door slamming must've woken him up. Steve glances back at him. He's dressed in his pajamas, and his dark hair is ruffled cutely. The sight would actually be adorable if Steve didn't want to kill something. Bucky yawns while gazing at him through squinty eyes.

"You okay?" he rasps.

Steve pulls himself into a sitting position and wipes at his eyes with his sleeve. Bucky steps into the room, suddenly looking more awake.

"Steve, what happened?"

Steve bites his lip. This feels backwards. Usually he's the one comforting people. He feels small and vulnerable like this.

Bucky doesn't wait for a response. He sits down and pulls him into a hug. Steve relaxes a bit. This is comfortable. This is familiar. This is what he needs more than anything right now.

Steve nuzzles against Bucky's firm chest. He can't count all the times Bucky held him like this and vice-versa. At the time, it was the best feeling in the world. They calmed the teenage fires rearing inside each other. Even he and Tony don't do this. It's something special he'll always have with Bucky and Bucky only.

They sit like this for what feels like an eternity before Steve calms down enough to pull back. Bucky keeps his arms around Steve's waist, his blue eyes full of concern.

"You wanna talk about it?"

Steve sniffles and shakes his head. He'd rather not. In fact, his mind isn't even on the Tony situation anymore. No, he's mulling over something else now – something he shouldn't be.

Without warning, Steve closes the space between them. He feels Bucky jerk in surprise, but he doesn't pull or shove Steve away. It only takes him a few seconds to start kissing back. Steve's amazed that his lips are just as soft as they were five years ago. He ignores the siren inside his brain wailing at him to stop.

They pull apart for air, and that's when Steve notices Bucky's blown pupils and flushed cheeks.

"Fuck, Steve," he murmurs, voice laced with arousal. "I…I missed this so much. I've been wanting to kiss you again so bad."

"Then let's fucking do it again," Steve growls.

Bucky wastes no time reconnecting their lips, this time with more force. Steve leans back on the bed, propping himself up on an elbow. He's obviously not thinking straight. He's not even thinking about the long-term problems this could create. There's plenty of time for that later.

Right now, Steve is just enjoying the long-lost feeling of Bucky's lips against his. They spend a good while just massaging their lips against each other before sliding their tongues together. Steve moans softly at the feeling. Bucky obviously gained more experience because he is an even better kisser than he remembers. Steve briefly wonders how many other people he's kissed over the years.

The siren's pitch amplifies when Steve feels a hand on his crotch. He's sharply jolted back into reality and breaks the kiss, panting softly.

"B-Buck, we can't."

Bucky looks like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He awkwardly retracts his hand and sits back. "Sorry, Steve, I'm…I just wanna make you feel better."

Steve glances down at his tented pants in dismay. This turned him on more than it should have. Granted, a blowjob would help, but his last ounce of dignity won't allow it.

He clears his throat and sits back up. "I know, and I appreciate the concern, but..." He pauses. "I really should just sleep this off, you know?"

Bucky nods and gets off the bed. "Uh, yeah, right. I totally get it." He approaches the door. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow then?"

 _Hopefully I've got my brain back tomorrow._ Steve nods. "Yeah."

Bucky cracks a small smile. "Night."

"Night."

Bucky closes the door after himself. Steve exhales and falls back flat onto his bed. _What the hell just happened?_ His exhausted brain doesn't give him much time to answer that question as it shuts down for the night.

* * *

 **I'm so flattered by how much attention this story is receiving. Please keep reviewing, following and favoriting!**


	6. Meet the Parents

**I hope you all had a wonderful New Year! Let's keep rocking it with another chapter. Woot!**

* * *

The following afternoon is overcast. Gray clouds cover the blue sky in dense patches. It's a sharp contrast from yesterday's sunny, breezy weather. Some people feel energized in this weather, while others feel rather hungover.

Tony Stark, unfortunately, is one of those people. He awakens to a throbbing headache, achy muscles and churning stomach. It's all too familiar. Although he knows how to nurse himself back to health, the discomfort is always the same.

He hasn't felt like this in over six months. He ditched the alcohol because he knows how Steve feels about it. It makes sense, especially since hangovers are such a bitch.

There wasn't supposed to alcohol at the dance, but, like Tony mentioned to Steve, someone sneaked it in. Rhodey found the guy during his long "bathroom trip" and told Tony about him. Tony was hesitant at first because he didn't want to upset Steve. However, Rhodey was persistent. The pressure caused Tony's ego to rear its ugly head again. He has that nasty habit of doing anything for the sake of his image. Rejecting the offer would've made him look like a pussy. So, they went for it. He remembers the first couple drinks, but everything is a blur after that.

He winces while carefully taking in his surroundings. It takes him a moment to realize he's in his bedroom. Whew, thank God he isn't waking up in some unknown place. His brain then processes a solid line of warmth pressing firmly against his backside. Tony immediately tenses. That better be Steve lying next to him.

He dares himself to turn around and face the person. Oh, shit fuck dammit! He practically leaps out of bed, away from Rhodey's sleeping form. Shivering as the cooler air assaults his exposed flesh, he notices their clothes strewn across the room. Cold dread seeps into his bones. What did they do?

He barely has time to put on his robe before a sudden, powerful wave of nausea sends him running for the bathroom.

 _Steve is never going to forgive me for this._

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

Further down the hall, Steve is also rising and shining. Well, he's not exactly glowing with the prospect of a new day because he also feels hungover – emotionally. He yawns and stares at the wall with sore eyes.

As his not-so-emotionally-muddled brain wakes up, it sends him bits and pieces of last night: There was a dance. Alcohol wasn't allowed. Rhodey and Tony found it and got drunk. He left in a rage. Bucky came into his room. They kissed…more than once. Shit.

Steve mentally shakes the feeling of Bucky's lips against his own. He'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't like it. He kinda did. And he knows he shouldn't. It's a good thing they didn't go further than kissing, but cheating is cheating either way. A wave of regret washes over him. Tony's mistake didn't give him the right to make one too.

With a yawn, Steve reaches out to check his phone. He's not expecting anything from Tony right now. The guy's probably still sleeping the hangover off. There is, however, a text from Jane inviting him out to lunch. He already knows she's buzzing with questions about last night. He texts back, reluctantly agreeing to meet up with her at the burger place close to campus.

The conversation starts out light enough. Steve is sipping on his Coke when Jane asks, "How are you feeling today?"

He shrugs, hoping the soda gives him some energy. "Doing better, I guess."

She nods. "That's good."

She sips on her soda while studying him. Steve can just feel the unanswered questions buzzing around inside her head. She's probably figuring out how to word each one. He sits silently, waiting for it.

"I can't believe Tony got drunk."

Whoop, there it is. Steve hears the disbelief in her voice. "Are you surprised?"

"Well, yeah, kinda. You told me he's changing."

Steve feels a pang in his chest. "He's made a lot of progress. He just…relapsed."

"You're trying to excuse it."

"I'll find a way to make it right."

"Why is it up to you?"

 _Because I fucked up too_. He falls silent and takes another sip of Coke. He'd rather not tell her about his own wrongdoing. The silence presses Jane on. "You can't always clean up his messes, Steve. Let him make it right. It was his mistake."

Steve chews on his lip thoughtfully. She's right, but since they both messed up, it's anyone's game. "Tony sucks at taking accountability," he finally says. "It's one of his weaknesses."

"If he truly loves you, he'll get strong and make it up to you," she responds simply.

Although their trust has been compromised, Steve doesn't doubt their love. He's far past thinking Tony's using him. There's just a few habits Tony needs to work harder at breaking.

"I hope so."

Jane flashes him a reassuring smile. Words can't describe how much Steve appreciates her. Out of everyone he's known, she's stayed by his side the longest. He can always count on her.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

"Tony, we gotta talk."

Tony groans, placing a couch pillow over his head. "Can't it wait?"

"Nope."

He winces as his head throbs. "Gimme 20 minutes. The aspirin hasn't kicked in yet."

Rhodey grabs the pillow and tosses it aside. He looks visibly freaked out, his blood-shot eyes wide. "I woke up naked in your bed, man!"

Tony sighs. "Yeah, I know."

"Do you remember anything?"

Tony shakes his head. "No, and I don't want to." He pauses. "Does your ass hurt?"

"Uh, no?"

"Good. Mine doesn't either."

Rhodey gapes at him. "You think we…with our mouths…?"

"Probably. Don't know why else we were naked."

Rhodey blinks and sits on the armchair. "How the hell did this happen? I'm straight. I don't like dicks!"

Tony rolls his eyes. "Sleeping with me didn't make you gay."

Rhodey makes a face. "Don't say it like that."

Tony props himself up and glances at him. "Fine. We had a freaky, drunken fuck-fest."

He groans. "That's not better!"

Tony shrugs and carefully lies back down flat. He's definitely concerned about this, but he won't openly show it. That'd cramp his style (or what's left of it.)

"Do you…" He clears his throat awkwardly. "Have anything?"

"You mean like an STD? Nah, I'm clean."

Rhodey sighs in relief, although his shoulders remain tense. "Are you gonna tell your boyfriend about this?" he asks lowly.

Tony honestly doesn't know. Ethically, it's the right thing to do. He broke his word and should take accountability. On the other hand, he doesn't want to further hurt Steve. Getting drunk is already one strike. Tony doesn't answer him. Instead, he curls up on his side for a nap.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

When Steve returns home after lunch, he debates checking on Tony. That is, if Tony made it back to his room. His drunk ass could've ended up anywhere with anyone. A spark of jealous anger flares inside him. He'll try calling him later once his emotions settle back down. Space might be good for them right now.

Bucky's in the kitchen making lunch for himself when Steve walks past. He sets the half-made sandwich down and follows him into his room. "Hey, how'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good, actually," Steve answers. "I didn't think I would."

Bucky's cheeks turn a light pink. "I'm glad to hear that."

Steve gets settled at his desk. He's planning on immersing himself with homework. A distraction – the only thing homework is good for.

"You wanna talk about it now?"

Steve heaves a quiet sigh. "Not really."

Bucky walks over to him. He crouches down so he's more on Steve's level. "C'mon, Steve. You used to be able to tell me anything."

Steve gulps quietly at their proximity and turns on his laptop. "Just having friend problems."

"That's all? You were pretty upset."

"What do you mean that's all?" he snaps before sighing. "Yeah, one of 'em got drunk last night at the dance."

"Did he take advantage of you?" There's an underlying defensive note in his tone.

Steve blinks. "No, I, uh, just had his word that he'd never get drunk again."

"So he broke your trust...sounds like a real asshole."

"He has his moments," Steve mutters.

Bucky leans in closer, causing a hitch in Steve's breath. "You shouldn't have friends like that."

"Er, well, I still have Jane. She won't do that."

"Yeah, Jane can be trusted. Don't know about your other friends, though."

"Why does it matter?"

Steve's eyes fixate on Bucky's lips as he leans in even closer. Their lips are mere inches apart. "I'm just looking out for you, Steve. I care about you."

When Bucky closes the space, Steve turns away at the last second, causing Bucky's lips to press against his neck, instead. Bucky acts like there isn't a difference and plants small, gentle kisses on the creamy, delicate flesh. Steve bites his lip, fighting back a moan. When did Bucky get so bold?

 _Wrong, wrong, wrong. This is wrong. Get away!_ His brain screams. Right on cue, Steve's phone starts ringing, as if it heard his mental pleas. Thinking it's Tony, he pulls himself away from Bucky and checks his phone. Bucky awkwardly stands back up while Steve's heart sinks at the displayed contact. With great hesitance, he answers.

"Hey, Mom."

"Stevie!" Sarah Rogers greets her son loudly. "Are you available right now?"

Steve glances at Bucky like, "Do you mind?" Bucky gets the hint and leaves the room. "Well, I'm just about to do some homework…"

"That can wait. Your dad and I would like to pop in for a visit."

Steve tenses. "Right now?"

"Of course! Unless we're not allowed to see you anymore?"

Great, she's using that tone again. There's no use arguing with her. He's tried it before and didn't get very far. "No, it's fine." _Even though it's not._

"Wonderful! See you in about ten."

She hangs up before Steve can respond. He draws in a deep breath, slumping back against his seat. Really, his parents couldn't have chosen a better time to invade his mess of a life. It's like trading one bad situation for another. He's really not looking forward to this.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

"Stevie!"

The air hisses out of Steve's lungs as he's crushed against his mom's bosom in a tight hug. "Hey, Mom," he manages weakly. His lungs fill back up when they separate.

Joseph pats his son on the shoulder. "It's good to see you, Steven."

One pat on the shoulder. Steve doesn't get a hug or even a handshake. "You too, Dad."

Sarah sniffs the air, pulling a face. "Ugh, you can tell men live here. It stinks." Steve blinks. He never noticed a smell. "You have windows in here for a reason." She flips her long, blonde hair over her shoulder. "They should be opened more often."

Steve quirks a brow. "I'll remember that?"

Her glossy lips briefly flip into a satisfied smile. She walks into the kitchen and opens the fridge, shaking her head at the microwavable selections. "This isn't healthy, Stevie. You can't eat shit like this."

"Language, Sarah," Joseph says sternly.

She ignores him. "I'm serious about signing you up for cooking lessons."

"I'll be fine," Steve insists.

"No, you won't be." She takes out the pack of frozen burritos. "My dieting books have warned me about the salt and fat content in these. You'll be a balloon in no time."

Steve sighs. Sarah's always been a health nut. She's faithfully followed several different dieting regimens over the years. She's very particular about what she buys and where she buys it from. If Steve wanted junk food, he had to sneak it in. Although he had healthy eating habits while living at home, he won't die from a frozen burrito here and there.

"I don't eat them often," he argues. "We have other things."

"That are processed. Remind me to take you out shopping for fresh, healthy foods later."

Steve inwardly groans. Whenever he goes shopping with his mom, she spends half the time educating him about the latest ingredients to avoid because "science confirmed its harmful effects." It's really quite annoying.

"Is there a place to sit in here?" Joseph asks. "I'm getting tired of standing."

"There's a couch in the living room." He motions for them to follow.

Steve sits on the armchair while his parents occupy the couch. Sarah crosses her legs, her miniskirt sliding further up her artificially tanned thigh. Joseph's posture is rigid, hands clasped together on his lap, his stern gaze focused on his son.

"How was your first week of school?"

"It's going alright. It's a lot different than high school."

Joseph nods curtly. "It should be."

"Are you keeping up with your homework?" Sarah asks.

 _I told you I was going to start working on it, but you came over anyways._ "Yeah, I've been doing pretty well."

Sarah nods in approval. "I'm glad you're taking it seriously."

 _I've always taken my homework seriously._ "Of course."

"Have you been rehired at Moorsten's?" Joseph asks, his gaze piercing. It'd look intimidating to people who don't know him.

Steve shakes his head. He scored a summer job at Moorsten's, one of the local department stores. The position paid well, but it was seasonal, so he was let go two weeks ago. Although he told his parents it was only temporary, they were still upset.

"I put almost every dollar I earned into savings." He's already told them this. "I'm good for a while."

"No, you're not," Joseph objects. "You need to be financially prepared for _anything_."

"Your dad's right," Sarah agrees. "What if your car explodes? What if you overdose on salts and fats? Your hormones could become dangerously unbalanced. Those are all spendy situations that you'll need to take care of on your own."

 _Yeah, like any of those situations are going to happen._ Steve resists the urge to roll his eyes. "I'll try to be more careful."

Sarah presses her lips together in a tight line. "You can say that all you want, but shit happens."

"Sarah, watch it," Joseph warns and clears his throat. "We're just watching out for you, Steven. And we want you to get rehired."

"Fine," Steve responds. He's not planning on trying. He's just saying that to get them off his damn back. They sit in silence until Joseph finally changes the topic,

"Are you dating anyone yet? College campuses are crawling with beautiful, available women. Take it from a man who knows." He shoots his wife a suggestive look. She giggles in response.

Steve groans quietly. "Dad, it's only been a week."

"I know, but it's never too early to start looking." His lips draw up into the faintest smirk under his moustache.

Steve loathes it his parents bring up his dating life. They pestered him about it all throughout high school. No doubt it'll get worse now. The thing is, they have no idea their only child is gay. This means they don't know about Tony, and they never knew about Bucky. Steve's not exactly comfortable with the idea of coming out to them. It'll happen sooner or later, though, when they realize he isn't finding a girlfriend.

"Anything else you been up to?" Joseph asks, changing the subject again. "No wild parties, I hope?"

Steve reminds himself that last night was a dance, not a party, and shakes his head.

"No drug or sexual experimentation?" Sarah adds.

Steve shakes his head again. "I don't need that shit."

"Hey, language!" Joseph snaps.

"Yessir."

"How are your roommates?" Sarah asks. "Are they leading clean lives?"

Steve shrugs. "They don't seem like they're up to anything."

"Either way, we trust you wouldn't get involved with their high-risk lifestyles." Joseph cracks a small, quick smile. "You know how to say no."

 _Well, actually, I need to work on that. I really need to fucking work on that._ Steve just shrugs and nods silently. Nothing needs to be said about that.

A door swinging open diverts the family's attention. Bucky wanders out of his room, carrying the plate his lunch was on. He glances at the visitors before disappearing into the kitchen.

Sarah and Joseph stare after him, as if they're trying to recognize him. Steve cuts to the chase. "That's Bucky, my friend from eighth grade. Remember him?"

"Oh, yeah!" Sarah exclaims. "That's who I was thinking he was. Didn't he move?"

"I moved back," Bucky says, reappearing in the room.

Sarah jumps up and hugs him. "Oh my goodness, it's so good to see you again!"

Joseph cracks a smile and gives a little wave. "Nice to see you, Bucky."

Steve's parents really liked Bucky because he pulled good grades and didn't get involved with typical teenage idiocies. Steve got close to telling them about their relationship, but he didn't want to risk outing himself. He can only imagine how they'd react to Tony.

"It's good to see you guys too." Bucky smiles. "You both look awesome."

"Aw, aren't you sweet?" Sarah gushes.

"You look healthy yourself," Joseph comments. "Do you work out?"

Bucky shrugs bashfully. "Sometimes. I haven't in a while. I used to hit up the gym every week."

Joseph gives an approving nod. "You should tell me your technique. I need to get back into shape."

"I'd love to."

Steve listens to them with a twinge of jealousy. He wishes he got along with his parents like this. He's always failed to connect with them on a personal level.

"I'll bet the hot co-eds are all over you," Sarah comments.

Joseph glances at Steve. "And I'll bet you can learn a thing or two from this man, son."

Bucky and Steve exchange awkward glances. Steve is definitely learning something from him – learning how to cheat. He ducks his head in shame and clears his throat. "So, Dad, how's work going?"

Joseph's eyes narrow. "That was awfully shameless, Steven. We need a moment to catch up with Bucky."

Steve throws his hands up in surrender. He can never win with these people. Now he's sitting here listening to his parents laugh and catch up with the beloved child by proxy. Apparently, Bucky dated a handful of girls while he was away, unless they were guys, in which case he is lying. That was the only interesting bit. Steve is tuning everything else out.

A knock on the door rouses Steve from the depths of this dull conversation. Bucky pauses at the sound before quickly resuming his story.

"I'll get it," Steve announces, although nobody hears. He approaches the door, feeling thankful for the break, and opens it. He's surprised to see Tony standing there.

"Hey, babe, I gotta-"

"It's not a good time, Tony," he mumbles.

Tony shakes his head. "This can't wait." He forces himself inside. "I fucked up, okay? I fucked up bad."

"Tony…"

Tony holds his hand up for silence. "I broke my promise that I'd never get drunk again, and what did I do? I got drunk off my ass!"

Steve bites on his lip. "Tony…" The living room is awfully silent now. Oh, dear God.

"There was a guy who snuck the alcohol in, right? Well, Rhodey found him and told me we could meet up with him," he rambles. "I started drinking and lost track after three bottles. It was freaky, like, it felt like I couldn't control myself. Oh, and I accidentally slept with-"

"Tony, shut up!" Steve all but shouts.

Tony finally closes his mouth, staring at his boyfriend in bewilderment.

"Stevie, who is that?" Sarah asks curiously.

Tony's eyes widen. "You've got guests?"

Steve sighs, exasperated. "That's what I was trying to tell you."

Tony peers into the living room. Three pairs of eyes stare back at him, full of curiosity and disapproval. "Oh, uh, hello, everyone," he greets with an awkward smile.

"Hello?" Joseph asks, his gaze full of judgment.

 _Well, this is one way to meet the parents._ Steve walks back in, just wanting to get this over with. "Mom, Dad, Buck. This is Tony."

Tony glances at him like, "These are your parents?" Steve glances back like, "Behave yourself."

"You look awfully familiar," Sarah says. "Do we know you from somewhere?"

Tony doesn't answer. Steve can feel his tension like it's a second skin. He loathes talking about his dad. Looks like the talking is left up to Steve. "Does Howard Stark ring any bells?"

That catches Joseph's attention. "The inventor?"

"Yep. This is his son." He motions at Tony, who glares at him.

Sarah gapes. "No wonder! Wow, you look so much like him."

"I'm a big fan of his work," Joseph says in awe. "The Arc Reactor design is ingenious."

"I can build a better one," Tony mutters under his breath.

"I'm a fan too," Bucky adds in. Steve doesn't miss the way Bucky looks Tony up and down. "I mean, super soldiers in the military? That sounds badass."

Tony looks around at everyone in mock interest. "He'd be flattered to know you're all fans," he says somewhat cynically.

Sarah tosses her hair over her shoulder. "I keep forgetting he owns a house here."

"Actually, it's a mansion," Tony corrects. "And it's really big and beautiful."

Damn, if Steve knew his parents would take so kindly to Tony, he would've introduced them months ago.

"We should go visit sometime." Sarah nudges her husband. "What do you think, honey?"

"Ohhh, no. Not just anyone visits the Stark Mansion," Bucky states. "I heard it's through special invitation only."

Tony shrugs and nods. "You heard right."

Sarah huffs in disappointment, and Joseph leans forward in his seat. "So, tell me Tony, how does a man like you know a man like our son?"

Steve flinches slightly at the implication, while Tony ignores it. "I didn't know he existed until, one day, I ran into him...literally." He flashes a cocky grin. Steve just wants to smack it off his face.

"When was that?" Sarah asks.

"Six months and three days ago," Tony answers by default.

Joseph eyes him. "Are you keeping track?"

Steve also realizes how weird that sounded and jumps in with some context. "It'd be about six months. We met the end of senior year."

"You never told us you knew Howard Stark's son." Sarah sounds a bit hurt.

Steve shrugs. "We really only saw each other at school."

Sarah nods slowly, taking that as an acceptable answer and pulls out her phone. "Well, it looks like our time here is done. Our movie starts in 15 minutes." Her and Joseph rise from the couch. She holds out her arms for a hug. Reluctantly, Steve steps into the embrace. "I'm glad we got the chance to catch-up, Stevie."

 _I really didn't have a choice._ Steve pulls back, and Joseph pats him on the shoulder again.

"We'll have to keep in touch more often."

 _Don't bother._ "Yeah. Have fun at the movie."

Sarah smiles before hugging Bucky. "It was fun seeing you again." She turns to Tony. "Now I can say I met Howard Stark's son. You're just as attractive as he is!"

Tony smirks. "Why thank you."

Sarah giggles, her high heels clacking against the floor. "You all take care of yourselves...and please throw out those goddamn burritos!"

"Dammit, Sarah, language!" Joseph scolds, closing the door behind them.

Steve exhales in relief. _Thank God that's over._ Now he can focus his attention on the awkward fact his ex-boyfriend and current boyfriend are in the same room.

* * *

 **Holy drama, Batman! What will become of our beautiful pairing? This chapter also turned out pretty lengthy, so the next one will be shorter. Allons-y!**


	7. Aftermath

**I'd just like to give a shout-out to Ange De La Misericorde for the informative reviews. Thank you, darling! ^^ I read every review I receive and take them to heart. Never be afraid to leave one!**

* * *

Everything is happening at once. Steve feels like he's stuck on a perpetual roller coaster ride. He needs a moment to get off and take a break.

"Your parents aren't as bad as I thought," Tony comments after a moment.

Steve scoffs. "They only like you because your dad is famous."

Tony blinks at his tone. "At least they like me, right? That's what you've been worried about."

Steve shakes his head. "Actually, what I've been worried about is how easy it was for you to get shitfaced again."

"Wow, Howard Stark's son is the one you're pissed off with?" Bucky asks in bewilderment.

Steve shoots him a look. "Don't go acting like he's a saint. Tony is a binge-drinking womanizer who doesn't keep his word."

Tony rolls his eyes. "I've been called so much worse."

"Don't make me think of worse."

"Yeah? Well, let's talk about you, Steve. You're an awkward little prude who's afraid to take a walk on the wild side. In fact, you couldn't even get laid until I came into your life…literally." He smirks at his pun.

Steve's eyes narrow. "I've had a boyfriend before, remember?"

"Doesn't mean you guys fucked."

"We didn't," Bucky pipes up.

Tony blinks in surprise, and Steve facepalms. Bucky looks back and forth between them like he said nothing wrong. "We wanted to, but it never happened."

Steve groans. "Shut up."

Tony's lips twist into a smirk. "So, this is the guy you were talking about, huh? This is the first dick you ever sucked." God, he can be so crass sometimes. Steve's face flushes in humiliation. "So, tell me, Stev-en. You been sucking him off lately?"

Steve glares at him. "Shut the fuck up."

The warning presses Tony further. "You like his dick better than mine? Like the way it feels and tastes? Does he fuck better than me too?"

Hot anger flashes through Steve's veins. That's it. He's gotten belittled enough today. Without thinking, his fist lashes out and strikes his arrogant boyfriend right in the nose. Tony staggers back, his hands flying to his face. Wide, brown eyes stare at him in shock.

Steve stares back in disbelief while shaking his throbbing, blood-spattered fist out. He's never punched someone before.

"If it's worth anything, we haven't been having sex," Bucky says lowly.

"Stay outta this, Buck," Steve mutters.

Bucky nods obediently and retreats to his room. Tony walks into the bathroom and returns with tissues shoved up his nose. "Yeah, I'll be feeling this for a week," he mutters partially to himself.

"Now you know what it feels like to get fucked with."

Tony winces slightly and pinches the bridge of his nose. "If you wanna beat the shit outta me, then let's get it over with. I deserve it."

"Yeah, you do, but it won't solve anything." He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Who'd you sleep with?"

"Huh?"

Steve glances at him. "You were telling me earlier you slept with someone. Who was it?"

Tony draws in a deep breath. "It was Rhodey. I don't think we got very far, though. Probably swapped BJs or something."

"You're making it sound like it's not a big deal."

"Because it could be worse."

Steve shakes his head. "You slept with someone who wasn't me. How could it be worse?"

"Well," he thinks for a moment, "The person could've been a stranger. They could've had an STD. They could've been a girl. I could've gotten her pregnant. They-"

Steve waves his hand. "Okay, okay. Maybe you're right." He pauses. "Either way, you cheated." The moment those words leave his mouth, a typhoon of guilt slams into him. The force almost takes his breath away.

He draws one conclusion: "I think we need a break."

Tony furrows his brow. "A break? From our relationship?"

Steve nods slowly, and Tony huffs. "Babe, it was one mistake. Now you don't trust me at all?"

"I don't know if I trust myself."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"I made out with Bucky."

Hurt flashes across Tony's features. "Ah, so you have been screwing around with him."

"No, we haven't done anything sexual. It was just kissing." He pauses. "I wasn't in my right mind, either. It just happened."

"Is he a good kisser?"

Steve sighs. "Tony…"

"There's no way he's a better kisser than me."

Steve rolls his eyes at the classic, pouty Stark attitude. "Tony, just drop it. It's over and done with now."

Tony huffs. "I guess we're also over and done with?"

For some reason, it hurts worse to actually hear Tony say it. It takes Steve's a brain a moment to wrap around what's happening. "Not permanently. Just for a little while." The words feel like glass cutting into his throat.

Tony opens his mouth like he's about to say something else before closing it and walking out the door. Steve watches him go, amazed and upset that he got the last word.

* * *

 **Yikes, it looks their frustrations with each other finally bubbled over. :/ Buckle up, and sit tight. The next chapter is on the way!**


	8. Break

"Come on, come on, come on." Steve holds his breath, watching the shiny blue bowling ball speed down the lane. He just needs one more strike to catch up to Bucky's score. He's currently creaming him and Jane.

"No, no, no, go the other way!" He watches in dismay as the ball steers into the gutter. The air hisses out of his lungs. "Dammit."

"Woo, that was close, Steve! Yeah!" Jane cheers.

"But not close enough." Bucky smirks. "I'm still the champ!"

Steve shoots him a teasing glare. He plops down at their booth and takes out his frustration on an innocent French fry.

 _Stayin' Alive_ blares from the overhead speakers while Bucky gets into position. It's Friday night, which translates into disco night, so they've been playing funky vinyl hits.

"I'm definitely stayin' alive!" Bucky shouts and releases the ball. He makes another strike. Dammit.

"That's it," Jane says. "Gimme the damn ball. It's my turn!" She jumps up from her seat.

After eating a few more fries, Steve checks his phone out of habit. He keeps thinking Tony will text him, although it's unlikely right now. It's been a week since they agreed to take a break. Steve hasn't felt the same since. It's like part of him is missing.

As for Steve, well, he hasn't done anything further with Bucky. Not that the opportunities haven't risen. Bucky's gotten more flirtatious and touchy-feely. He brushes Steve's arm often while they're talking. He'll pop his head into Steve's room to tell him goodnight. He'll sit close to him when they're watching TV. Steve's allowed a few platonic cuddles, but nothing more. He knows he can't keep leading Bucky on once he and Tony are reunited.

…if they get back together. Steve swallows around the forming lump in his throat. That sounds so surreal. It sounds awful.

Jane is up-to-date with what's happening. She told Steve that, since they both did wrong, a break is the best possible thing for them. It gives them time to gather their thoughts and decide if they want to try again.

"Steve, you're up!"

Speaking of Jane, her voice cuts into his thoughts. He completely missed her turn. He glances up at the board and discovers she struck a few pins. That's nice and all, but he can do better.

The game continues for another hour. During that time, Steve consumes an unhealthy amount of French fries – four batches total. His wallet and stomach are feeling the ache. Bucky ended up winning, which surprised no one. Steve trailed behind by three points, and Jane took last with six points behind Steve.

The group just left the bowling alley and are walking across the lit parking lot. The stars are glittering ahead in the heavens, watching, observing. Steve draws in a deep breath of fresh, crisp air. Bowling alleys tend to get stuffy after a while.

"You guys owe me a milkshake from Betty Joella's," Bucky says smugly.

Jane scoffs playfully. "I don't think so."

Steve makes a face. "You wanna go to a burger place after having all those fries?"

" _You_ were the one who had all those fries," Bucky corrects. "I could totally go for one of their chocolate milkshakes right now." He licks his lips.

"Actually, a milkshake doesn't sound too bad right now," Jane says.

They climb inside Steve's ride-from-hell and take off for the diner.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

Betty Joella's Diner is a hubbub of activity. Waitresses skate around with trays of food. People are chatting it up on the shiny black, white and red booths. Others are seated at the bar or dancing in front of the neon jukebox in the corner.

The diner opened its doors in 1953. It's undergone minor structural repairs over the years, but the décor is all original. Smiling faces of classic Hollywood celebrities, movie posters, and vinyls decorate the retro walls, untouched. The recipes haven't been updated, either. This place looks and tastes exactly the way it did 62 years ago. Amazing how it's still a popular joint for people of all ages. Steve's glad the city officials have kept this place alive.

The group occupies an open booth. Their waitress rolls by shortly after and gets their milkshake order. She shows back up moments later with three milkshakes.

"Drink up, kiddos!" she exclaims.

They utter "thank-yous" in unison, and Jane pulls out her wallet. "Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?" Steve asks.

"Paying for this?"

Steve shakes his head. "Women shouldn't pay in here. It wouldn't be proper."

Jane blinks. "I don't-"

He holds up his hand. "I got this." He pulls out his wallet and hands the waitress the money.

"Well, aren't you sweet?" she asks while chewing on her bubblegum. "I love it when customers get into the spirit of this place."

"Steve's always been a gentleman," Bucky remarks, his cheeks tinted a light pink.

Steve smiles bashfully, and the waitress just grins at them before skating off.

Bucky moans around his straw. "Wow, I missed this. We didn't have a place like this in Sherryville."

"That's sad," Steve comments, taking a sip of his vanilla milkshake. He, too, makes a noise of contentment at the taste. With an age-old recipe like this, there isn't room for dissatisfaction.

"Peggy would love it in here," Jane says. "I'll have to take her sometime."

"You should ask her out," Steve suggests. "She seems interested in you."

Jane scoffs and waves her hand. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious. I've noticed the way she's been looking at you lately."

She bites her lip. "You think I got a chance?"

"She'd be crazy to say no to you," Bucky adds.

Her eyes shine with excitement at the possibility. "I'll give it a try. If not, then hopefully we can come here as friends."

Steve nods with a smile. It makes him happy to see her happy. Too bad he doesn't share her simple outlook when it comes to relationships. Then again, Peggy is stable and levelheaded compared to Tony. Steve knew exactly what he was getting into when he got together with him.

"I've gotta use the bathroom." Jane gets out of the booth. "I'll be back in a minute."

Steve watches her go, his lips wrapped around his striped milkshake straw. He takes a few gulps and sighs contently, the familiar cold helping soothe his stomachache.

"Remember when I took you on a date here?" Bucky asks, a fond smile creeping onto his face. "We loved the vintage feel of this place."

Indeed, Bucky shares Steve's love for the Flyin' Forties and Fabulous Fifties. Steve was amazed when he found out he wasn't the only teenager who felt generationally misplaced.

His grandpa's war stories sparked his fascination with life during and after World War II. Steve started watching military documentaries and researching war history. From there, he branched out to other period-specific films, such as _Casablanca_ and _The Ghost and Mrs. Muir_. An interest in the smaller things, like fashion and décor, took place later. It didn't take long for Steve to become interested in every aspect of '40s and '50s culture. To this day, he still enjoys (and prefers) older music and movies. It drives Tony crazy sometimes.

Unfortunately, he doesn't share Steve's love for that important twenty-year time period. Although Tony prefers '70s and '80s rock, which isn't that far off, he's still a child of this generation – ill-mannered, impatient and tech-savvy.

Steve and Bucky talked about joining the military together. Of course, that thought was dashed when Bucky moved. Obviously, neither of them ended up joining. Steve still entertains the thought every so often.

"Put your head on my shoulder," croons the jukebox. "Hold me in your arms, ba-by. Squeeze me oh-so-tight, show me. That you love me too."

Steve is instantly seduced by the whimsical rhythm. God, songs were so innocent back then. Lyrics weren't charged with sex, drugs and violence. It was all about love. Chivalry was alive and kicking, and clothing was modest and classy. On the other hand, his sexuality was misunderstood as an illness. He would've ended up unhappily married to some woman. Yeah, nothing appealing about that. Now, settling with a dapper, young gentleman is another story.

He imagines Tony wearing a freshly pressed suit with his dark hair stylishly slicked back, holding his hand out to Steve as a dance invitation. Steve accepts the invitation, and they dance slowly with the rhythm. Steve swoons along with the music. That'd be a dream come true. At the rate things are going, it may never come true.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

While Steve is enjoying an evening out with friends, Tony is cooped up in his room Skyping with Bruce. "The ache is back," he says, gently rubbing at his healing nose.

"I already told you to keep icing your nose."

Tony shakes his head and jabs a finger into his chest. "It's in here."

Bruce sighs. "Tony, it's okay to lower your pride and admit you're missing Steve." Tony doesn't respond, his eyes drifting away from the screen. "What have you done since we spoke two days ago?

Tony gives a small shrug. "Eat, sleep, homework. Repeat."

"Anything social?"

Tony waves his hand lazily. "Not interested."

"Ah, that's because Steve is your social life now. Without him, you're shutting yourself away, which means you're missing him like fucking crazy."

That draws Tony's attention back to the screen. Bruce rarely swears. "I can still function without him. It's just…difficult."

Bruce rolls his eyes. "Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"

"Hm?"

"You need to end this getting drunk and sleeping around crap. You're not a single man anymore. Now whenever you self-destruct, you drag someone else into the mess."

Tony absentmindedly plays with a thread on his shirt. "For the record, I wasn't the only one who cheated." Bruce quirks a dark brow, silently beckoning him to explain. "I found out Steve's ex-boyfriend is one of his roommates. Weird coincidence, right? Well, he told me they were smoochin'. It's probably not the only thing they did."

"Oh, dear," Bruce sighs. "This drama just keeps getting worse and worse. What's he like?"

"He's pretty hot. Like, if I met him somewhere else, I'd wanna fuck him." Bruce facepalms as Tony continues, "But he touched Steve before me. I'm not okay with that."

"Not much you can do about that, Tony." He takes a moment to re-gather his thoughts. "What's his personality like?"

"He thoroughly enjoyed the fact that I'm related to someone famous." He smirks in spite of himself. "Other than that I got a chill vibe from him."

Bruce shakes his head. "I don't have a good feeling about this. Exes shouldn't be living under the same roof." He draws in a breath. "He might try to get Steve back. If you're out of the picture for too long, this guy'll jump."

Tony mulls over his words, acknowledging the jealousy prickling his skin. "You're right. I gotta get rid of him somehow."

Bruce blinks. "Okay, entertaining revenge fantasies: bad idea. There's better ways to go about this."

"Like what? You're the fucking psychic here."

"Just talk to Steve."

"Really? That's your grand plan?"

Bruce nods. "I'm dead serious. Verbal communication goes a long way."

Tony scoffs. "Our communication is fine."

Bruce doesn't look convinced. "Obviously not or else you'd have made up by now."

"You know what, Bruce? I'll deal with this on my own."

"Ha, remember what happened the last time you said that? You wound up in juvie for two months."

"Hey, at least I got to skip summer school."

"Summer school is better than having a record, Tony."

Tony huffs. "Whatever. Paintballing Ms. Dipshit's car was fun. She totally deserved it."

Bruce chuckles at that. "Okay, I'll agree with you on that one." He pauses. "But really, for your sake and that of everyone else around you, please consider everything I've told you."

"Fine, I'll consider the safe, _boring_ option just because you're my bestest friend ever."

Bruce smiles. "Attaboy." He yawns. "Well, I'm gonna jump off and get some sleep. Keep me posted on what's happening, okay?"

Tony nods. "You got it." He closes Skype and starts researching revenge ideas.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

Steve and Bucky arrive back at their room not long after Tony's conversation ends. Steve stands outside the door and stares down the darkened hallway. He debates walking down there before Bucky pulls him into the room.

"Let's play Truth or Dare," he suggests.

Steve chuckles and sits on the couch. "Don't you think we're too old for that game?"

Bucky follows him, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of him. "I don't think so."

Steve shrugs. "Okay, go ahead."

Bucky clears his throat. "Alright, Steve." He pauses for dramatic emphasis. "Truth or dare?"

"Uh, truth, I guess."

"Are you and Tony seeing each other?"

 _Why didn't I see this coming?_ Steve fell right into the trap. "Yeah, we are."

"Exclusively?"

"That's two questions."

Bucky shakes his head. "It's part of the first question."

"No, it's kind of a separate question. It's my turn to ask."

"Okay, okay. Shoot."

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Did you actually date girls in Sherryville?"

Bucky smirks slightly. "Nope. They were definitely dudes."

"How far did you go with them?"

Bucky hums. "That sounds like two questions."

Steve rolls his eyes. "I'm done with this."

"Nooo, you can't bail already. Let's do one more round."

Steve briefly thinks about it before plopping back down.

Bucky grins in satisfaction. "Alright, truth or dare?"

Basically, Steve's screwed if he goes with either one. "Dare."

Bucky's grin widens. "Okay. I dare you to do better than Tony."

The hairs on the back of Steve's neck stand straight up. "What?"

"Hey, I'm the one asking the questions."

"What you said wasn't a question…it sounded more like a command."

Bucky shrugs. "You can phrase it however you want." He pulls himself up and joins Steve on the couch. "But the end result is the same: He treats you like shit."

Steve winces. "That's not…completely true."

"You called it last week. He's crazy."

"But I thought you liked him?"

"I was a bit starstruck, yeah, but I did some research on him a few nights ago. Did you know he has a record?"

Steve blinks. "What?"

"Yeah." He grabs out his phone. "He's gotten busted for theft and vandalism." He hands Steve the phone. "I'm surprised you didn't know."

Steve looks through the three tabs on the browser. Each tab leads him to a different article on the same website. Tony's petty crimes, which all happened before he entered high school, circulated in the local paper. Steve feels like he got slapped in the face.

"Why would he hide this from me?" he asks lowly, handing the phone back.

Bucky sets a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "He's probably scared. A guy like that is usually all bark and no bite."

As if Steve didn't need more reasons to be upset with Tony. They're supposed to be open and honest with each other. A criminal record is definitely something to be honest about.

"You gonna be okay?" Bucky asks after a moment.

Steve shakes his head slowly. "I don't know, Buck. I'm glad I'm aware now, but I shouldn't be hearing it from you." He turns to face him. "You shouldn't be snooping around."

"I was curious to find out more about him," he says in defense. "I know about Howard, but I know nothing about Tony."

Steve eyes him. His explanation sounds plausible. Perhaps he was innocently doing research. Afterall, Tony isn't the easiest guy to approach with questions. Or perhaps it's all part of a twisted plan to lead Steve further away from Tony.

Nah.

Steve yawns, dragging a hand lazily through his hair. It's late. He's exhausted. He's frustrated with Tony all over again. Maybe he can sleep it off this time. He rises from the couch and stretches.

"That's all the fun I can take for tonight."

Bucky stands with him. He leans in, planting a gentle kiss on his lips. "Night, Steve." Steve watches him before retreating into his room for the night.

* * *

 **Man, what would Steve and Tony do without their friends? Thank goodness Jane and Bruce are there for them. :O Also, it looks like there's more to Tony's bad boy streak. That's what happened when Howard basically removed himself from his son's life. Tony had to figure things out and fend for himself without parental guidance. It's tragic, really. At least he had Bruce to help him along a track. *fond sigh* I love further developing these precious characters. Anyways, the next chapter is on the way! ^^**


	9. Long Time No See

Steve finally receives some good news the following morning. He's doing homework when he gets an unexpected phone call.

"Steve! It's Tasha!"

"Tasha, hey! How've you been?"

"Things have been awesome. I can't wait to tell you about it. Well, as much as I'm legally allowed to say, anyways." The grin is evident in her tone. "Are you busy right now?"

He glances at his homework and shakes his head like she can see. "Nope. I've got all the time in the world."

"Sweet. Wanna meet me and Clint at the pretzel place in the mall? We're in town for a few hours."

Steve grins eagerly. "I'll be there." He zips over to the mall as fast and as furious as his shitty car can take him, his heart beating with excitement. This is just the drama break he needs.

Clint and Natasha are already seated when he arrives, but they both stand after spotting him. Steve hugs them both before sitting across from them. "This is so awesome. I can't believe you guys are here."

"It's kinda nice to be back," Natasha says. "Are Loki and Jane still around?"

"Jane is. She's at work until three. I haven't heard from Loki since we graduated."

She snaps her fingers in disappointment. "Darn, our flight leaves at 1430."

"We've been on the move a lot lately," Clint says.

"Yeah?" Steve asks curiously. "Doing what?"

"Classified stuff," he responds. "We're not at liberty to discuss it."

Natasha nods in agreement. "Yup. Sworn to secrecy." She slides a pretend zipper across her lips.

Steve quirks a brow. What the hell did that "military academy" do to them over the summer? Their postures are rigid, and they're eyes are sharp. It makes them look older, wiser.

"We're actually en route to a classified location, which is why we're only here for a few hours," she adds. "That much I can tell you."

Steve gives a slow nod. "Oh, okay." He pauses, fumbling for words. "What else have you been up to?"

Natasha chuckles. "Work is pretty much our lives. But there is something else." She smacks her left hand down on the table, causing Steve to jump. "Check that shit out!"

Steve stares at the glittering diamond ring wrapped around her ring finger. "Holy shit," he murmurs after a moment.

"We're engaged!" she squeals, as if he couldn't figure it out. "We were in the middle of an intense training session two weeks ago when he popped the question. I thought he was joking, but he wasn't." She beams at her fiance, who smiles back proudly and sets an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close.

Steve smiles softly at them. He's honestly not surprised by the news itself but rather the suddenness of it. There were obvious signs the two liked each other throughout high school. Instead of admitting it, they danced around it and left people wondering.

"When's the wedding?

"No idea," Clint responds. "We haven't had time to sit down and plan things out."

"We'll get married eventually." She turns her head, and they kiss.

Steve tries ignoring a sudden prickle of jealousy. Sure, he's happy things are going well for them, but it kinda sucks when things aren't going so well in your own relationship.

"How's the college life?" Natasha asks after they separate. "Are we missing much?"

Steve swallows the lump in his throat. "Not really. It's nothing like high school. There's more freedom."

"To do whatever the hell you want?" Clint asks with a grin.

"Well, yeah, and with time. I have more free time than ever. It's nice."

"All the better to do homework with, eh?" Natasha chuckles.

Steve scoffs. "Oh, yeah, the second week just ended, and there's no shortage of that."

"You seein' anyone?" Clint asks with a faint smirk.

Steve gulps. This question was bound to arise. His instincts tell him to lie, but what's the worst they can do? Disown him forever?

"Yeah." He pauses, drawing in a deep breath. "I'm with Tony Stark."

Awkward silence. They both stare at him with equally perplexed expressions. Clint gives an awkward laugh. "Hilarious, Steve. No, really, what's her name?"

Steve shakes his head. "I'm not fucking with you guys." He digs out his phone and shows them a few pictures they took together…during happier times. "Tony is my boyfriend."

Clint's jaw drops. "Holy shit…how did…when…?"

"We started dating a few weeks before graduation. I can't…explain how it all happened. Opposites attracted, I guess."

"I didn't know you were interested in men," Natasha says after a moment.

He holds up his hands. "Surprise, I'm gay."

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Natasha asks. "We wouldn't have judged you."

Steve shrugs. "I didn't know if you would or not, so I never said anything."

"Well, Tony must not be a royal douche anymore if you're able to date him," Clint remarks.

Steve bites his lip. "He still has his moments. Things are kinda tense right now."

Clint snorts. "That figures. I don't care that you're with a dude, but, come on, man. You're better than a guy like that."

 _So I've been told._ "He's already doing better than he was."

"I swear, if he harms one hair on your head, we'll come after him," Natasha says matter-of-factly. "You can count on it."

Steve chuckles tensely. For some reason, that doesn't make him feel better. Really, what would he do without them?

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

"You know what, Bruce?"

"What did you do now?"

 _Psh, typical scientist, jumping to conclusions._ "I haven't done anything yet, but I think I've figured it out." Tony settles his laptop on his lap, flashing his friend a toothy grin.

"Yeah? I'm listening."

"I did what you told me not to and researched revenge ideas."

"Of course you did." He sighs. "If you get arrested, I won't bail you out."

"What makes you think I'm doing something illegal?"

"Because that's how your brain works? You take risks regardless of the consequences? Just a wild guess." He shrugs.

"Oh, Bruce, always assuming the worst." Tony shakes his head. "Well, I think you'll be pleased to know the worst won't be happening this time."

"Let's hope not."

Tony holds his hand up. "I'm the one talking." He clears his throat. "As I was saying, I researched revenge ideas, and…well, they weren't exactly…oh, how should I say this? They weren't really my style."

"You're kidding!"

Tony glares at him. "I'm actually not. I love the idea of revenge, but, when I really think about it, it won't solve anything."

Bruce's jaw falls slack. "Are you telling me you're fighting the urge to act on impulse?" Tony shrugs. "Wow. Do you realize this is progress, Tony? A step in the right direction! A duck in the right pond!"

Tony quirks a brow. "Just so you know, it took a shit-ton of soul searching to reach this decision."

"I'm so glad to hear you still have a soul."

Tony shrugs again. "It's in there somewhere."

"What are you going to do, then?"

"Remember when I took Steve on that date in high school?" Bruce nods. "Well, I wanna surprise him like that again. Then he'll realize he wants me more than Bundy, or whatever his name is, so I'll win him back."

"So you're treating this like a competition now."

"A competition that doesn't involve physical harm, yes."

Bruce sighs quietly. "Well, that's better than cold revenge, I suppose. Just don't do anything too stupid, alright?"

Tony does a mock salute. "Aye, aye, captain." He hasn't decided what the surprise will be yet, but he's excited about it either way. He's made up a mistake to Steve before, and he'll do it again.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

Steve feels 10 pounds lighter. No, really. It's pretty liberating finally telling your friends the truth. Now there won't be any questions or surprises. Concerns, of course, will remain. Like everyone else, Natasha and Clint were well aware of Tony's high school ridiculousness. Although the group fills the next few hours with easy laughter and jokes, there's a lingering air of tension over Steve's partner of choice. At least they accept his sexuality. It's the little victories.

Legally, Steve isn't allowed to see them off at the airport or wherever their "confidential" flight is. Natasha promises to stay in touch more often, probably just as a polite gesture or wishful thinking. There's no way their oh-so-busy schedules will allow regular contact.

They part ways in the mall, and Steve drives straight back home. He's a few hours behind on his homework now, and he's determined to make up for it.

When he walks inside the room, he's surprised to see Sam seated in front of the TV. The guy's been keeping a low profile lately. Odds are he knows something's been going on and is intentionally avoiding it. Steve respects that. The guy doesn't need to get caught up in the drama.

"Is James here?"

Sam shrugs, his eyes glued to the screen. "I dunno. I just got back."

Steve grabs a Coke from the fridge and walks into his bedroom. Out of sight, out of mind, as far as he's concerned. He pops open the can, takes a sip of the refreshing liquid, and gets to work.

It takes him a total of three hours to complete his mountain of homework. He yawns and stretches right when his phone pings with a message. His heart skips a beat when he sees it's from Tony. Does he dare open it? Psh, of course he does!

 _Ur prob still mad at me, but that'd be awesome if u could dress up in ur best and meet me at the Stark mansion this Friday 6._

Steve stares at the screen for a while, his mind reeling. He chews on his lip at the feeling of deja-vu. This is exactly what happened for their first official date, except the emotions are different. Back then, Steve was confused. This time he's been angry. Now, right at this very moment, he's curious. What could Tony have planned this time? He decides to text back.

 _I'll be there_

With that, he gets into a nice shower, climbs into bed, and falls asleep, feeling hopeful.

* * *

 **Yay, Tony's coming through again! The next chapter is already complete. I just need to edit it, and then I'll post it!**


	10. Confrontation

It's Wednesday afternoon when Tony gets the chance to confront Bucky. He's hanging out in the student center in between classes when Bucky comes strolling in. He wasn't planning on confronting him, but the opportunity is just too good to pass up. Tony saves the assignment he's working on and closes his laptop.

"Yo, number one fan, over here!"

Bucky stops walking and looks over at him. Tony performs the 'come here' hand gesture. Bucky awkwardly looks around, appearing hesitant, before walking over to him. The genius smirks to himself. This is going to be fun.

"I'm a fan of your dad, not you, just so you know," he says lowly.

Tony shrugs. "Whatever. You got a minute?"

"Not really."

"You do now. Take a seat, and chill with me."

Bucky sighs and sits across from him, his posture tense. "What's this about?"

"I'm pretty sure you already know."

"You wanna talk about Steve."

"Yes, I'd love to talk about _my_ boyfriend." He puts intentional emphasis on the word.

Bucky blinks in surprise. "I'm surprised you even know what that word means, considering you cheated on him."

"Pretty sure he cheated on me too because you took advantage of him."

"He kissed me first! I didn't initiate anything."

"He was emotionally distressed. You could've stopped him."

"Yeah, and you could've said no to drinking," Bucky mutters.

Tony huffs. "This isn't about me. I already know what I did, and I admit I fucked up. You were in your right mind. You could've left him alone."

Bucky diverts his gaze. "I wanted to help him. If kissing made him feel better, I was gonna do it."

Tony hums. "Sounds to me like you still have feelings for him."

"I'd love to have Steve back. He's an awesome guy."

 _Bruce called that one._ "Who is capable of cheating now, don't forget."

"It was a one-time thing. We haven't done anything since. I've wanted to go further, but he doesn't seem interested."

Tony rolls his eyes. "Wonder why. He knows who he's with."

"He's with a rich, egotistical asshole with loose morals."

"Yeah, Steve can do, like, a million times better than me, but my morals are tightening up, thank-you-very-much."

"Are they? I told him about your record." He smirks. "You know, the one you're keeping secret?"

Tony leans back in his chair, studying him. He's almost rendered speechless. Almost. "It's minor stuff," he says casually after a moment. "Steve doesn't need to know about it."

"Doing time for theft and vandalism is minor to you?" He scoffs. "I'd hate to know what you think is major."

"Oh, there's more serious things I've done, but I wasn't caught. Steve knows about those ones."

Bucky blinks. "Well, he still looked upset when I told him. He has a right to know."

Tony waves his hand. "Don't worry about it. I'm making things right."

"Are you? Are you really?"

Tony nods. "Yup. I have a plan to make it up to him, and he's down with it."

"So you actually care about him?" he asks snidely.

"I know it's unheard of, but yes, I actually care about my boyfriend. _My_ boyfriend."

Bucky scoffs. "I have no fucking clue what he sees in you. I mean, you're not even acting bothered by anything."

"Oh, I'm bothered. I'm really bothered. It just takes years of practice to not show it." He grins.

Bucky gets up and grabs his backpack. "We're done here."

"And Steve's done with you. He's been done with you for, what, five years? Get over it."

Bucky flips him off before stalking away. Tony glares at his back until his disappears into the bookstore. Although he's irritated, Tony feels satisfied. The conversation went as well as it could have. Consider that conversation warning number one. If Bucky fails to heed the warning, Tony will remind him that he has a lot of money. With a lot of money comes a lot of power, which means anything can happen. And Tony definitely wouldn't be responsible.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

"Clint and Tasha were here?"

Steve nods at Jane with a mouthful of pasta primavera. It's been nice spending their breaks eating home-cooked food (his mom would be so proud) and watching TV at her house. Beats hanging around the campus and spending money. Jane walks back into the room with her own bowl of food, plopping down on the couch next to him.

"I didn't get a call from them." She frowns.

"They've been pretty busy lately."

"Doing what? I called Tasha over the summer, but she never called back."

"Getting engaged, for one."

Jane's eyes widen. "Really?"

"Yep. Tasha showed me the ring."

Jane huffs. "Wow, I can't believe they didn't tell us."

"They probably couldn't," he says. "They might have strict regulations on who they can contact and when."

"Why?"

"Their job is classified. They couldn't tell me anything about it."

Jane quirks a brow. "That's weird." She glances at the TV while curling noodles around her fork. "I'm still mad at them."

"Hopefully they'll visit again soon. Then you can yell at them."

Jane chuckles. They eat silently while watching _America's Funniest Home Videos_. Only a handful of the videos are actually funny; the others are downright cringe-worthy. Steve is flinching more than laughing.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

The flinching continues into the afternoon while he's out with Mommy Dearest. She tore him away from his homework (again) and led him to the grocery store for some "delicious and nutritious shopping."

"No, no, I told you it can't contain sodium nitrate. Didn't you check the label?"

Steve sighs. "Whoops, guess I forgot." He checks the back of the lunch meat container. Sure enough, there's good 'ol sodium nitrate inside. Whoopie.

She huffs. "I raised you better than this, Stevie. Go put it back, and find another one."

 _Yes, drill sergeant._ He obediently turns around and walks back over to the lunch meat aisle. This is why he loathes shopping with his mom. It's the same story with clothes shopping as well. She's concerned about certain fabrics and materials in the clothing. It's absolutely insane.

Steve glances over the wide selection of packaged meats. He spends a good five minutes shifting through the selection, unable to come up with anything. He's about to give up when a voice sounds behind him.

"Having trouble?"

Steve turns around, seeing a smiling Rhodey. _Great._ "What are you doing here?" he asks, although it's a stupid question. The guy is shopping, obviously.

Rhodey motions at his cart. "It's my turn to do the shopping this week."

 _At least you have the freedom to buy whatever you want._ Steve nods, holding up the pack of ham he was examining. "Uh, same."

Awkward silence. Steve turns back around and continues with his browsing. He really doesn't have anything more to say to him. Rhodey is part of the reason his relationship is in a bind.

"I'm sorry about what happened with Tony." Steve stills his hands, listening. "That whole thing got waaaay out of control."

"You can say that again," he mumbles.

"I didn't…I didn't think things would go that far, ya know? I've gotten drunk before without that happening."

"Maybe you should stop getting drunk, then." He turns to face him. "And, if it happens again, keep Tony out of it. He's already on the edge. One little push will send him off."

"Yeah, I get that." Rhodey sighs. "He hasn't taken the whole "time apart" thing well. It's made him all mopey."

That statement warms Steve's heart. "Really?"

Rhodey nods. "He won't say it, but I can tell he really misses you. He told me the other day that he's gonna "kick ass and take back what's his." Those are his exact words, by the way."

Steve chuckles. "Sounds like him." He suddenly feels a bit better. "Apology accepted, Rhodey."

Rhodey smiles. "I hope things work out for you guys. You are closer than my own parents."

Steve blinks, taking that as a compliment. He'd rather not think about what a less-stable relationship looks like. Rhodey continues with his own shopping, and Steve decides on a low-sodium ham.

He returns to his mom. "This was all they had."

"Took you long enough." She grabs the pack, examining it closely. "Hm, it doesn't have my five-star approval, but it's better than the other ones." She tosses it into the cart.

Steve breathes a silent sigh of relief. That's one thing down, God knows how many more left.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

It takes another hour to satisfy Sarah's pickiness. Steve returns to his dorm with four bags. Yes, they did two hours of shopping for just four bags of groceries. Absurd. He gets to work putting everything away, making a face at nearly every product. Although he's used to eating strange foods, he's not looking forward to trying most of this stuff. I mean, what the hell is quinoa? It looks like bird food.

Bucky must hear him because he appears in the kitchen shortly thereafter. "What is that?"

Steve glances at the package. "Tofu noodles." He sticks it in the fridge.

Bucky wrinkles his nose. "I'm not eating those."

Steve shrugs. "You don't have to."

Bucky peers into one of the bags and pulls out a bundle of kale. "You actually eat this stuff?"

"No, but I will because I don't want it to go to waste."

Bucky puts the bundle down and leans against the counter. "I ran into your boyfriend today."

Steve tenses. "You did?"

"Oh, yeah. He's a real piece of work."

Steve glances at him while unloading another bag. "What happened?"

"We got talking, and…I dunno, he's just an ass. The vibe I get from him is super annoying."

"That's Tony Stark for ya. He's loud and cocky, but, deep down, he's pretty sensitive."

"Sensitive? That guy?" He snorts. "You know he totally disregarded your feelings, right?"

"Well, I kinda did the same thing. You were part of it, remember?" He gives him a look.

"Psh, of course I do. I won't deny it." Bucky watches him put the remaining groceries away. "I just don't understand what you see in him. We had something awesome, Steve. And I'm a better guy than he will ever be."

Steve sighs. "What's done is done, Buck. What we had was awesome, yeah, but it'll never happen again." Bucky's eyes widen, and Steve continues, "I shouldn't have kissed you that night. It was a mistake, and I'm sorry if you think I'm into you again. I'm not. I have a boyfriend."

Bucky's blue eyes flash red in quiet anger before mellowing into pools of hurt. "But, Steve, I'm honest, dependable and sympathetic. I-I listened to your problems. I hugged you whenever you were upset. We wanted to join the military together, remember?" He smiles. "We both love the World War II era. I haven't found another person I have so much in common with."

"I know, but it's been five years. Time made us grow up and change. I'm not the same Steve I was back then. You shouldn't be the same Bucky, either."

"But I am!" He motions at himself frantically. "That's what I'm trying to tell you! I'm stable. You need that in a man."

Steve looks directly at him. "Actually, I need excitement and spontaneity. That's what Tony has. If you haven't changed in five years, then you're boring and predictable."

Bucky sneers. He reaches out and grabs Steve's arm, squeezing with surprising force. Steve flinches and tries getting away. Working out would work out for him right now.

"You know what you're missing, but you won't let yourself have it," Bucky murmurs. "Give yourself to me, Steve." He crushes their lips together.

Steve grunts, struggling against the kiss. It feels nothing like the gentle kissing on the night of the dance, or the awkward kissing they did when they were younger. No, something is _very_ wrong with this. Bucky pins him to the fridge, making escape more difficult. He nibbles on Steve's bottom lip before biting hard, drawing blood. Steve yelps and squeezes his eyes shut.

Bucky starts groping Steve's crotch roughly with his free hand when the front door distracts them. The warmth and pressure from Bucky's body disappears in a flash. Steve reopens his eyes when Sam walks in. The timing couldn't be more perfect.

"Hey, guys," he greets. "Everything okay?"

They both nod. Steve peels himself away from the fridge, his back almost numb. Bucky runs a hand through his hair and smiles. "Yeah, everything's fine," he answers casually.

Sam doesn't ask anymore questions. He simply nods before walking into his room. Steve licks his stinging lip and shudders at the coppery taste. Dammit all.

Bucky looks at him. There's something in his eyes Steve doesn't recognize - something cold and domineering. Bucky then smirks and exits the kitchen. Steve stares after him in shock. He didn't know Bucky was capable of harming him. Looks like something changed after all. And it's not for the better.

* * *

 **Wow, Bucky's aggression totally caught me by surprise. I wasn't anticipating that for him. O.o Anyways, the final chapter will be up soon! *bittersweet tears***


	11. Let's Try This Again

**Aloha, my people! I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. I did so much writing for my courses this semester that I actually got tired of it and went on hiatus. Now that the semester is almost over, I'm back with recharged batteries!**

 **WARNING! Slashy goodness ensues!**

* * *

Steve couldn't be more relieved when Friday arrives. This week went by agonizingly slow, and his curiosity over Tony's plans grew stronger with each passing day. His suspicion over Bucky also grew stronger. The guy spent the past couple days acting like nothing happened. He still greets Steve with the same innocent demeanor and tells him goodnight. It's rather perplexing, and it's probably not a good thing.

Indeed, Steve's suspicions are confirmed when Bucky snaps again later that afternoon. Steve is dressed in the only suit he owns, which is also the one he wore on his and Tony's first date. He's busy spiking the front of his hair to perfection when Bucky appears in the bathroom doorway.

He whistles. "Damn, you look amazing. Are we going somewhere?"

"I am, but you're not."

Bucky's mouth sets in a deep frown. "Who else are you going out with?"

"Who else do you think?"

Huzzah, the flash of quiet anger appears in his eyes again – the same one from two days ago. "No way, you aren't meeting up with him dressed like that."

Steve huffs. "Why not?"

Bucky lashes out, grabbing both of Steve's arms this time and whips him around, squeezing tight. "I've already told you he's no good for you. What part of that aren't you understanding?"

Steve gulps at the intense look in his eyes. He quickly decides it's a terrible look on him. "What part of 'it was five years ago' aren't you understanding?" he asks, surprised by his sudden courage.

Bucky scoffs before laughing. "You were my first, and you'll be my last." He leans in for another kiss, but Steve draws his knee up and knocks him right in the balls. "Fuck!"

The air hisses out of Bucky's lungs, and he releases Steve's arms to cup his aching crotch. Steve rushes past him and out the door. He needs to get far away and fast.

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

Stark Mansion is far enough. The luxurious home glows like a white beacon against the twilight sky when Steve arrives. This property is so familiar to him now. He and Tony spent a lot of time here over the summer, so it became like a second home to him. It was nice having their own space away from prying eyes and disapproving adults. That's how Tony remained a secret from Steve parents.

Steve types in the code and watches the lavish gold gates open for him. He slowly drives up the cobblestone driveway toward the garages and notices Tony's gorgeous Maserati parked there. Steve's heart skips a beat at the sight. It's been two weeks since he last saw Tony or his precious car.

Geez, this is like their first date all over again with the way anticipation and anxiety attack him simultaneously. Steve performs a quick deep-breathing routine his mom taught him from her yoga class. The last thing he wants is to appear flustered. _I know Tony, and he knows me. This isn't like our first date. Pull yourself together._ Steve exits his car with clammy palms and wipes them off on his trousers.

Well, here he goes.

He's about to walk up to the door when he hears plants rustling near him. Alarmed, he turns and sees, to his relief, Tony walking toward him. He's dressed in a fancy suit with a fedora situated on his head.

"Top of the evening, sir." He lifts the hat in greeting. "Er…" He quickly glances at his phone. "Unreal [exceptional] weather tonight, isn't it?"

Steve stares at him. _Is this a joke?_ He starts laughing without really meaning to.

Tony quirks a brow and clears his throat. "Well, pardon me for attempting to be proper."

"Sorry, Tony, but what are you-"

"Don't ask questions." He interrupts and bends his arm before holding it out. "Mind if I escort you to the backyard?"

Steve blinks, his face flushing at the offering. He doesn't know whether to be flattered or concerned by his change in demeanor. He accepts the invitation regardless, sliding his arm into the space.

They leisurely stroll past the basketball court and wind their way toward the impressive Olympic-sized swimming pool, the air fueled with unspoken words once again. A nagging feeling forms in Steve's gut, prompting him to sigh.

"Whatever it is, forget about it."

"I can't, Tony." He pauses. "I'm sorry."

"Steve, we don't-"

Steve turns and shushes him. "Yes, we do. I shouldn't have done that. I was just so-"

Tony places a finger on Steve's lips. "I forgive you."

Steve stares at him. "You do?"

"Why are you surprised?"

"Well, you're usually not that straightforward."

Tony shrugs. "Tonight is a no-bullshit night."

"Really?"

"Yup."

Steve nods in agreement. "I can live with that."

"Don't get used to it though."

Of course there's a catch. That's how the great Tony Stark operates. Steve gives his cheeky boyfriend a playful jab before they link arms again. The odds of another "no-bullshit night" are slim, so Steve will make the best of it.

They continue with their stroll through the sprawling backyard. Steve feels better now that the apology is out of the way. The time apart did some good after all. Tony leads Steve through a small, unseeming gap in between the lush foliage. They enter a small area sectioned off from the rest of the backyard. The perimeter is enclosed by colorful rose bushes, and a spacious veranda sits at the very heart of the area.

But the best part is within the veranda. Steve slowly approaches it, his jaw slack in wonder. The roof is sparsely decorated with white string lights, illuminating the space in soft, soothing light. Dion and the Belmonts' _Teenager in Love_ croons from the record player off to the side.

Steve steps inside, the light bathing his body in a gentle glow. A vintage black and white television sits on the left side. Positioned across from the TV is a red pull-out couch decorated with a few pillows. Two small tables on both sides of the couch have a set of candles on top, adding to the calm atmosphere. A bottle of lube hanging out on the right-hand table makes Steve blush.

Tony stands outside the veranda with a proud smile, letting his boyfriend soak it all in. It takes Steve a while to find his voice. "Tony, this is…"

"Me being an awesome boyfriend?" He steps inside. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Well, yeah." Steve looks around again. "This is amazing."

Tony's smile spreads into a grin. He turns off the record player and turns on the TV. "Hmmm, my _rear_ feels like looking out a _window_ at my neighbors right now…"

Steve looks at him like "the fuck?" before somehow making the connection. If he was a normal child of this generation, there's no way he'd know. Alfred Hitchcock's mystery thriller _Rear Window_ is one of Steve's favorite movies. He's surprised Tony remembered. He acted quite uninterested when Steve was talking about it.

"How can we watch it on here? DVD players weren't invented yet."

"I know. That's why I took a modern TV and redesigned it to fit the time period."

Steve gapes. "You made this?"

"Just the exterior. The guts are still intact." He shrugs like it's no big deal, which it isn't to him. Truth is, his projects never cease to amaze Steve. Although Tony just experiments with already-made inventions right now, there's no doubt in Steve's mind he'll go on to create his own incredible things in the future.

Tony plops down on the couch and pats the spot next to him. Steve occupies the space and snuggles against him like they didn't spend a tense two weeks apart. Perhaps their relationship is stronger than he gives it credit for. Tony uses the customized remote to pull up Netflix. Within seconds, the movie is playing on the small, black-and-white screen.

"Gee, this flick is grundy [neither good nor bad]," he comments.

Steve snorts back a laugh. "You can stop talking like that. I'm already impressed."

He glances at him. "Oh, yeah? Well, I'm in Fat City whenever I'm with you."

Steve doesn't even try holding back the laugh this time. "Are you saying I make you fat?" Although he doesn't know the slang Tony used, he does know a few '50s terms. He learned them in his studies, but he never uses them. Steve Rogers is not _that_ old-fashioned, mind you.

"Yes, you make me plump with feelings."

Steve gives him a playful shove. "Just stop talking." A lighthearted smile plays on his lips right when the movie starts.

Surprisingly, Tony obeys. Silence falls over them as they turn their attention onto the movie…ahem, I mean _flick_. They're a good five minutes in when Steve feels a hand on his thigh. He glances at Tony, finding mischief glittering in those dark eyes. Oh, God. Steve knows that look.

"Wanna find out what Netflix and chill is?" he asks lowly, a husky edge in his voice.

Steve gulps and reflects back on his conversation with Bucky. Now that he knows what the phrase means, a giddy chill tickles his spine. He responds with a small nod.

Tony smirks and presses a button on the side of the couch. It slowly folds out so they're reclining. Tony turns the TV volume before rolling over and positioning his body over his boyfriend's.

Steve stares up at him, face painted a pretty pink. Sweet Lord, they're actually going to get it on with a Hitchcock film playing in the background. Is that even possible? Their crazy asses are about to find out.

"They say makeup sex is the best sex, ya know."

"Since when do you listen to what "they" say?"

Tony shrugs. "I don't. I just agree with it."

"That means you heard it, though."

"Shut up, and kiss me."

He lowers himself down, and Steve takes initiative. Their lips meet, igniting a passionate spark that shocks Steve's system, leaving him breathless. Thank God the spark is still there. He gasps into the kiss, and Tony seizes the opportunity, gliding his tongue inside the familiar cavern in one fluid motion. The rough muscles twirl and curl around each other gracefully, like a well-choreographed dance. No intense arena fight for dominance this time; just a sweet ballet.

Aligning their clothed erections together, Tony presses his body flush against Steve's and starts grinding down on him. They both moan into the kiss, which breaks the delicate contact.

Tony attacks Steve's neck like an avid painter with a blank canvas. He decorates the tender flesh with light kisses before latching on and sucking, slow and steady. Steve bites his lip and turns his head to the side. Tony is marking him. He can't hide this. Bucky will see the bruise when he returns home. He'll know exactly what happened.

Thinking about Bucky briefly pulls Steve out of the moment. Now that he's unleashed the beast, it won't go back in the cage. A sharp bite to the other side of his neck sucks him (literally) back into the moment.

"Ow!"

Tony pulls back to look at him. "Am I boring you?"

Steve blinks. He didn't realize he totally zoned out. "No, everything's good." He pauses. "You fucking rock my socks." He smirks. Tony never resists a compliment.

Tony hums appreciatively in response. He gently runs his tongue over the fresh bite as if to apologize. Steve closes his eyes and resubmits himself to the mercy of his stupidly rich and good-looking boyfriend.

Tony reconnects their lips and continues thrusting against him. Steve fists his hands in Tony's suit jacket and curls his toes with every drag of his hips. His entire genital region throbs pleasantly from the stimulation. A familiar building pressure makes Steve tug on Tony's jacket.

"Off. Clothes off. Now."

They could get each other off just like this, but where's the fun in that? Besides, he's burning up with adrenaline and arousal. Tony wastes no time removing their clothes, tossing each piece of fabric to the side. Steve exhales as the cool air pierces his heated skin.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm, you've got one classy chassis, babe," Tony comments, running his hands along the flat, pale plain of Steve's chest.

Steve flushes and groans, trying to hide his face with his arm. "Oh my God."

Tony grins and gently rubs Steve's nipples with his thumbs before leaning down and taking one into his mouth. Steve arches his back into the touch and grabs Tony's hair, digging his fingers into the thick, gel-slicked strands. After leaving a red ring around the nipple, Tony moves onto the next one. His free hand sneaks down to their leaking erections, trapping their hard flesh together. Steve gasps in surprise and bucks his hips on instinct. Slowly Tony moves his rough hand along their shafts, precum oozing from the head onto Steve's, their fluids mixing together in a most intimate way.

When Tony's done with Steve's nipples, he plants light kisses up his chest and throat before reaching his lips. They kiss along with the rhythm of Tony's hand until they run out of air. Tony breaks the kiss and rests his forehead on Steve's shoulder. Steve focuses on the sensation of his boyfriend's wet, throbbing organ pressing against his. He starts thrusting in sync with the hand in a silent plea for more friction. The climactic pressure once again builds in his groin.

"I-I'm gonna c-cum soon, babe," he warns.

Tony releases their shafts on cue and sits up with his knees on either side of Steve's thighs. "No, you aren't," he responds like the cheeky bastard he is.

He cleans their fluids off his hand with long, teasing tongue strokes. Steve flushes at the sight and chews on his lip. With his hand clean, Tony reaches over and plucks the lube bottle off the nightstand. He pops it open, permeating their little space with the sweet scent of strawberry. The smell almost makes Steve's eyes water with want. Tony holds out the opened bottle to his willing boyfriend.

"Lay it on me," he mumbles, voice rough with arousal.

Steve gulps to suppress a moan. He loves it when Tony gives him this control. Taking bottle in hand, Steve squirts a generous helping of the thick, fragrant liquid into his palm. He rubs his hands together, warming the substance up. Tony watches through impossibly dark, intense eyes, his tongue dragging across his lips. Steve smirks up at him and reaches out, trapping Tony's erection between his hands. Tony grunts and drops his head forward. With the utmost precision, Steve massages the lube onto the throbbing shaft, running his hands all around the organ to thoroughly coat it. He teasingly brushes his fingertips along the hard, sensitive head before pulling back and spreading his legs.

Tony draws in a deep, shaky breath while grabbing Steve's legs and bending them to expose his entrance. He lines up his slick erection with the delicate ring of muscle and starts pushing in. Steve relaxes his body in order to guide Tony along. He moans softly as his body grows accustomed to the familiar length and girth sheathed inside his passage. Tony also moans, loving the way Steve's inner walls pulse and squeeze around him. He hovers above his boyfriend's body with his tanned arms on either side of the pale torso.

After a moment, Tony sets a slow rhythm. Steve's eyes slide closed, and he wraps his legs around Tony's waist, savoring their intimacy. Tony lowers himself down and lightly brushes his smooth lips against dry ones. A hit to Steve's prostate sends him arching up into a proper kiss. Tony seals the deal by adding more pressure into the kiss, enjoying the way Steve's breath hitches with each drag of his hips. The kissing intensifies as Tony picks up speed, his elongated organ repeatedly bumping Steve's small pleasure center. Each hit sends a lightening bolt through Steve's spine. He hangs on for the stormy ride and curls his toes, each one letting out a soft pop. He breaks the kiss to unleash a series of repressed moans.

"Mmmm, T-Tony…gettin' close."

"Mmm, good…I am too."

Tony wraps a slick hand around Steve's neglected erection, pumping it in earnest with his thrusts. He feels Steve's inner walls tighten in preparation for the incoming climax. The added stimulation does the trick, and Steve's orgasm crashes down on him like a rogue wave.

"Ah-ahhh, fuck, marry me!"

His jaw drops, and his back arches, painting Tony's fist and his own abdomen with thick, white stripes. Tony follows Steve into oblivion and shoots his passion inside the pulsing canal. Once the intense pleasure wave subsides, Tony slowly pulls out, causing both of them to moan, and flops down beside his boyfriend. The two lovers bask in their afterglows and stare up at the star-dotted sky for what feels like ages.

"Did you mean that?"

"Mean what?"

"What you just said."

Steve's brow furrows. "What did I say?"

Tony snorts. "You don't even remember?"

Steve glances at him. Tony glances back with a look that says, "You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about, you little shit." He thinks a bit harder before his eyes widen in realization. He just said…right before he…oh.

 _That._

Right.

He shudders when a breeze teases his sweat-slicked skin. "Shit, Tony, it just…that just slipped out. I'm sorry."

Tony quirks a brow. "Is that right?" He turns his gaze back onto the night sky. "So, you, uh…don't wanna marry me, then…"

His voice bears no hint of sarcasm or cheekiness. Steve's stomach drops. "No…no! It's not that at all." He grabs Tony's hand and interlaces their fingers together. Tony's hand remains lax. "I do want to get married…eventually. That'd be crazy to do it now."

"Why not? We do crazy." Tony glances at him, his eyes large and glassy.

Steve blinks. "Er, because it's way too soon? I mean, we just barely got into college, and-"

"So? There's tons of married people in college."

Steve closes his eyes and exhales. "Are you ready for that? Are _we_ ready for that? As in, our relationship? We're trying to recover from another hit."

"At least we're recovering. That means we can handle anything."

"Yeah, but-"

"I'm willing to make it work." Before Steve can respond, Tony rolls back on top of Steve and sits on his thighs. He asks, in all his naked glory, "Steven Rogers, will you marry a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist?"

 **T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S/T/S**

And that's how Steve found himself forever tied to the stupidly rich and intelligent man known as Tony Stark. Five months later, the lovely couple stood beneath a grand floral arch in Tony's backyard, exchanging vows. Their union attracted quite the media attention and diverse audience, including Jane, Peggy, Rhodey, Natasha, Clint, Sam, Bruce and, surprisingly, Steve's parents. A few people attended who weren't crazy about the event, but nobody created a darker cloud in the clear sky than Bucky. He sat in the back with sharp eyes and clenched fists, unable to accept his loss.

* * *

 **That's all for now, folks! Man, I can't believe I completed my first sequel. Feels great! I'm thinking about writing a third story, which is why I left the ending open. The next story would take place after Steve and Tony graduate college. Their life together would tie into the Avengers universe. Let me know if this sounds like something you'd be interested in!**

 **Before I leave, I just want to express my excitement for Captain America: Civil War. Normal people see a feud between Steve and Tony, but slash fans see a passionate love triangle between Team Stony and Team Stucky, amiright?! I like both pairings, but, for the sake of this story, Team Stony's got my vote. Woot! ;)**


End file.
